For regular readers of these blogs you will know that I mention the affect that social media can have us quite frequently.  On social media everyone seems to have these perfect lives. Their photos and statuses show them as busy and constantly on the go; whether it’s a walk on the beach, a night out, lunch in a fancy, new restaurant, holidaying on a balmy beach or even getting a new car - everyone seems to have exciting and busy lifestyles with perfectly clean and tidy children, immaculate houses, loving partners and photograph after perfectly posed photograph to prove it.

This is all very lovely - and yes, how nice to see what my loved ones are up to 24/7. But it also comes with a flip side. There is a darkness to the perfectly edited pictures on our screens - they put pressure on those posting them to keep up the façade of perfection AND make us question our own lives, allowing anxiety and discontent to creep in. "Why isn't my life this glamorous?", "If I wore that my cellulite would show!", "How come I can't afford to go to the supermarket, let alone Bali?" and even "I haven't posted anything in a week, I'll lose followers and people will think I'm boring." This may all seem far-fetched but these are all comments that I have heard form friends and family members while scrolling through their screens.

This anxiety has a name; FOMO - Fear of Missing Out, and it is a real thing and has even been added to the English dictionary, along with the definition below;

"FOMO - anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may be currently happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts on social media".

Yes, many people are living their lives in a constant state of wanting everything they don’t have. Spending money to chase the perfect place, trying to have the perfect day and even wasting time with people they aren't close too or particularly even like just for the illusion of perfection. People are so busy chasing epic moments that are always just out of reach instead of living each and every moment. How can we stay in when thee perfect moment is literally around the corner? But with life being what it is, perfection is a rare commodity and only really achieved by filtering and editing out all of the little flaws - which in reality, we can't do.

FOMO stops you from experiencing what's actually happening. We become too focused on hoarding experiences to actually enjoy them or appreciate the significance. Cramming activities in but never being truly present. A real attitude of quantity over quality. Life should be a series of experiences, complicated by the imperfection of it all - all of the things that bring joy, frustration, sadness and so on, are all of the things that make up our cherished memories and values. Living makes us who we are.

THE TRUTH MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT ITS REAL - AND IT MATTERS!

PS. If you want some more guidance and to ponder the big questions in life, why not check out the Philosopher-in-Residence series. Our, every fortnight on a Thursday, and written by the lovely Anna Pascoe, our Principal planner here at Make Me A Plan. You can take a peek at the latest edition here: https://makemeaplan.com/news/on-birthdays/