A Love Letter To My Boring Life

​By Eliana

If quarantining has done anything for me, it's made me reflect on all the things I’ve done pre-Covid. I’ve always considered myself pretty lucky, I’ve traveled all over the US and even some abroad, I live in a big city with lots to do, and I’ve had lots of opportunities to try new things. But Covid has made me experience a new kind of fear of missing out that's less about wanting to look like someone or be as happy as someone and more about feeling like I’m missing out on all these exciting opportunities. If you’ve ever scrolled through Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest you likely know exactly what I’m talking about. Watching people no older than I am traveling the world, skydiving, urban exploring, etc made me feel like somehow my life was less fulfilling and had me constantly asking myself “what am I doing with my time?”

If you’re anything like me you feel this too, I think there’s this pressure as young people to make the most of these ‘golden’ years, logistically though, this can be really hard. I know personally between homework, things to do around the house, and long study sessions, by the time my days over I already feel too exhausted to go do anything else. By 4 pm I usually crash and spend the rest of my night scrolling through social media, watching a movie, or doing some reading. I’ll see people going on exciting day trips and tell myself “I need to do that sometime” but then inevitably never do it. I hear people talk about feeling this way all the time and it's not any of our faults, school takes a lot out of you, and add a part-time job or younger siblings to take care of and it leaves you with very little time or energy. I think a lot of us, especially right now, are just trying to get by.

I’ve found that reflection and journaling have been especially helpful when I find myself falling into the fomo loop. Taking time out of each day to ask yourself what you’re grateful for or what you’ve accomplished that day can help put you in a more rational state of mind. Another thing I’ve found to be helpful is when doing something new or exciting I’ll take a moment to remind myself how grateful I am for all these opportunities, even if they’re small or ordinary. Going for a walk in a new area, rearranging your room, or hanging out with someone you haven’t seen in a while are all great ways to feel as though your days were more complete and fulfilling. Studies show the more change you bring into your life, the happier and more excited you’ll be.

It’d be easy to write off all my experiences as generic and boring, nothing about my life has been particularly remarkable, but I’ve also experienced so many interesting things, and who’s to say they’re not just as important just because lots of people do them. Going on picnics in the same park everyone else does, ice skating in the little city center rink covered in snow, watching the night time skyline on the top of an apartment complex- none of these things set me apart from anyone else, they’re done by thousands of people every day, but they’ve shaped me, given me stories, and are the things I hold onto when life gets shaky. These oh-so-human experiences are what make life what it is. I don't have to travel the world or hike to mountain peaks to have lived a fulfilling life, you don't have to either. We all have a story, were all a product of our environment, and these everyday experiences dictate who we are as a whole. Maybe someday you’ll have visited every continent or met an idol but your life won't begin then, it's already so full.​