FOMO — fear of missing out — is common for people struggling with their mental health. Many LGBTQ+ people living in queerphobic countries feel a sense of emptiness and believe their life lacks meaning because of how little self-expression they’re allowed. 

Oleg used to feel constant anxiety without his phone. He thought that real life could only be found on the internet. While other people were engaging in activism, traveling, partying, Oleg was just going to work and seemed to be missing out on all the interesting things around him. Those were all clear signs of FOMO, which he realized when he came to our livestream.

Oleg decided to fight it: “I realized that I can’t let it go on like that, I want to live my life here and now.”

First, he set the phrase “I’m not missing out on anything” his phone wallpaper. This helped him check social media less often and take every post with a grain of salt. 

The second step was to remember the times when something actually important was going on. For example, when the transphobic law was being passed in Russia. Oleg realized that he would get all the necessary information from his queer friends anyway, so he doesn’t have to be online 24/7. 

Oleg made a schedule with all the things he’d been putting off because of his phone. There, he added activities like reading a book about transgender artists, as well as taking a walk in a nearby park. The schedule helped Oleg put his phone down instead of searching for “important information” all day long. 

Oleg used several tips from our livestream to evaluate how satisfied he was with different aspects of his life. This helped him realize that he hadn’t spoken to his best friend in a long time, and so they set up a meeting at their favorite spot.