With news of new Coronavirus strains and rumours of stricter lockdown rules flying all around us, it is important to remember that by staying home we are saving lives and doing the right thing to make sure the lockdown ends as soon as possible. But while we’re all staying at home and doing our bit to help out, unfortunately, our dependence on technology has increased massively.
Social media has become a much more prominent part of our lives and as a consequence, it has become easy to start experiencing FOMO.
You might be wondering what on earth FOMO is. Well, FOMO, also known as the ‘Fear of Missing Out’ occurs whenever you get the feeling that other people are living better, more exciting lives than you are. It can deeply affect your self-esteem and cause you to feel a lot of envy. You’re a lot more likely to experience FOMO when using social media too, which means lockdown has made FOMO a lot worse for many people.
Lockdown FOMO can occur whenever you see other people starting new hobbies, being productive, or generally just having more fun than you feel you are. You can also feel FOMO from missing out on important life events, like graduating, having a prom, or having a normal university experience.
So, we’ve complied a short list of ways to combat lockdown FOMO and keep you feeling positive while we’re all stuck at home.
Practice Gratitude.
While it is true that many of us have missed out on important life events and felt jealous of others who seem to be making the most out of lockdown, we must remember to be thankful for what we do have. Practicing gratitude is super important, you might be grateful for your family, friends, pets- even being able to study at home and have access to the internet is something to be massively grateful for. By making note of these things in your life, it becomes a lot easier to remind ourselves of what we do have instead of fixating on what we don’t have.
Limit social media.
While it is much easier said than done, it is crucial that you limit your screen time. Always remember that social media is usually a highlight reel of the best bits of everyone’s lives, it is not reality. Try going out for exercise or being more present with your family, even a phone call with a friend is better than getting lost in social media for hours at a time.
Stay Occupied.
One of the best things you can do to avoid falling into experiencing heavy FOMO is staying occupied. Whether its reading, practicing self-care, working on a hobby, cooking, cleaning, being active, or doing something physical- staying occupied can help you avoid falling into negative mindsets, it will also help you manage your worry surrounding the lockdown.
Set a Routine.
Setting a routine can help give you structure and a sense of control over being stuck at home, it will also give you less of a chance to dwell to heavily on negative thoughts by keeping you busy and organised. Make sure you eat and sleep at regular times and it also helps to avoid the temptation of staying in your pyjamas all day, so make sure to get dressed and ready as you normally would at the start of your day pre-lockdown.
Overall, it is super important to remember that everyone is going through the lockdown together and while other people may look as though they’re making the most of their time in lockdown, you never truly know what might be going on in their personal lives. So, be present, practice gratitude and keep yourself busy and hopefully lockdown will be over before you know it.
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