I’m a recent university graduate and fear of missing out has taken over my life. Summertime was the best because I knew I could take a little break from my binge-drinking, pizza-eating, afternoon-nap-taking university life, and focus on one thing: making as much money as possible so that come September I could fall right back into my favorite lifestyle. You can wake up at 3 PM and start drinking while brushing your teeth. Every night is a bar night and every weekend is filled with shots of god knows what followed by a Sunday night scramble at the library to finish whatever might be due come Monday. There’s never any time for fomo because you don’t have any time to feel the wrath of missing out.
Except now I do.
I have tons of time. I have time to read books that haven’t been assigned to me and catch up with friends I’ve neglected while being away at school. I have time to actually think about how much I’m missing out on. So, how do you beat this post-college fomo?
You think about how effing amazing it is to not be literally constantly hung over!!!! Being hungover means I’m probably going to pick the burger over the salad and dry heave last night’s cranberry vodkas the moment I wake up. Thinking about all those mornings I woke up with a face full of makeup and a half eaten pizza slice definitely cancels out that fear of missing out on not going out every night like I used to in college.
But some of you lucky freaks don’t even get bad hangovers (please teach me your ways) so how do you rare humans fight the fear of missing out when you have no downside to getting obliterated? Think about all the money you now have to do fun things like shop and go out for lunch and even plan that trip to Mexico. Most of us are now in some serious debt from student loans or credit card debt, but we are adults now who have real jobs and make real salaries which will allow us to both pay off our student loans each month AND buy the purse or shoes you’ve been eyeing since sophomore year. That purse or pair of shoes beats all the fear of missing out in the world. Being able to spend on yourself without begging your parents for money or slaving over a part-time job between classes in order to have enough money for the bars is so much more fulfilling than Tequila Tuesday.
Have I not convinced you yet that post-college fomo isn’t actually the worst? No? Okay how about this: you can now achieve the hot bod you’ve always wanted. Yes, college is fun and drinking is fun but your body definitely hasn’t been a happy camper for the last four years. All that alcohol and late night drunk food leads to unwanted weight gain and breakouts. The college lifestyle is great but not for your body, I will take clear skin over a bar night any day.
There are still gonna be days where fomo will take over your life. I already know that I’m probably going to shed a few tears during homecoming weekend and bitterly not like Instagram pictures of all my college friends doing fun college things. However, the fear of missing out will eventually fade. All good things must come to an end. I will miss Tuesday night $2 tequila shots but I will not miss walking into my 8 AM lecture Wednesday morning hungover. Four years is enough time to get all the crazy drunken shenanigans out of your system and prepare yourself for the real world. Don’t let the post-college blues get ya down and focus on the fear of missing out on great opportunities as a big old adult rather than missing out on that weekend keg stand competition. Say no to the fomo and yes to the future!
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