As we are trapped in another lockdown and coronavirus seems to be dragging on for what feels like forever, it can be easy to feel like you are missing out. I know the thought definitely sometimes comes to mind for me. I sometimes can't help but feel like I am missing out on a university experience and being young at the moment - living life to the fullest as such. It is okay to feel sad about lost experiences, and only natural.  However, if this is your only focus, it can get you into a rut and thinking about it like this constantly is not a good way to look at it. 

Ultimately, everyone's life is different at the moment. Everyone has had or will have a birthday under lockdown and we have all had to adapt our way of life. No one leads the same lifestyle they did beforehand and everyone's life no matter what stage they are at has been affected. In this sense, we are really not missing out because everyone is in the same boat as us. 

Fear of missing out is not new to the current situation and is definitely something that is made worse by social media. We automatically compare ourselves to other people's perfectly curated feeds and feel like we are missing out because we are not leading what appears to be very exciting lifestyles. Even something as simple as choosing not to go to an event or do something can lead you to question whether you are missing out. 

I have come to realise, however, that we really don't ever miss out. Life is short, but there is still enough time to make the most of everything. We can slow down. Just because you do not do something in one moment or now, does not mean that you can never do it again. You can do it in your own time. It’s not a case of now or never. Sure, currently, there are restrictions on what we can and cannot do, but those will not last forever, and there are many other things we can do that maybe we did not have time for beforehand. Take hobbies for example. Being at home more and generally with less to do than usual means we have more time to do what we enjoy that maybe we did not have as much time for beforehand. I have found myself doing photography a lot more often since summer. Photography was something that my previous more busy lifestyle did not really allow as much time for. Now I find myself taking photos a lot more often in my walks. 

As much as it can feel like it currently, we are not missing out on anything. Really, it is a time for new experiences, ones which we will never have in quite the same way (yes these are not ideal circumstances and I am not going to say they are- there are a lot of hardships). However, it is a unique time to try and relax  a little, really connect with ourselves, go with the flow more and focus on self-care.