My question is “How can 18 to 20-year-old Chinese Gen Z who identify as having anxiety of FOMO (fear of missing out) effectively manage it in the age of social media and rapidly changing trends?” 

In order to better understand this question, the first thing need to know is why Gen Z feels anxious. The rationale behind this psychological phenomenon is mainly related to the following aspects:

1. Social stress: Social media allows people to learn about the activities and lives of others and thus compare themselves with others. Therefore, sufferers, worry that they are missing out on activities or experiences that they are participating in with others, which leads to feelings of anxiety.

2. Self-identification: Participation in social activities and experiences can help people build social relationships. FOMO sufferers worry that missing out on these opportunities will cause them to become alienated from their social groups and affect their self-worth.

3. Competitiveness: Displaying one’s life and activities on social media is not only viewed and evaluated by others but also heightens the sense of competition among people.

Tranquility

A great way to relieve anxiety is mindfulness meditation. Meditators meditate to calm the mind and in doing so transcend their desires, while others meditate to bring more mental focus. Simply put, it’s a state of looking at the self and focusing on the present moment by quieting the mind and body.

Studies have proven that our thoughts wander about 50 percent of the time and that we are unable to achieve happier emotions when we are wandering. There was a study at Harvard University that showed that short periods of daily meditation can grow grey matter in key areas of the brain related to self-awareness and empathy, and shrink grey matter in areas related to stress.

Meanwhile, Yale University has a study looking at what’s called the brain’s default cognitive mode. It’s part of the region that is particularly active when we’re obsessed with something, and it can force us to keep thinking back to the past and thinking about the future to the point where we can’t give our full attention to the present moment. Not only do meditators switch off the brain’s network of default modes when they meditate, but after forming the habit, they are able to focus on what they are doing at the moment even when they are not meditating.

Following this video I tried a ten-minute meditation exercise and I felt that it was not difficult to get started with a simple introduction to meditation. Start by choosing a piece of light music that allows gentle, lyric-free music, and sit in a position where you feel comfortable. Then slowly switch off the music and relax your whole body so that your tailbone is down and you feel a force gently pulling the top of your head upwards, focusing on your breath. Even if other thoughts and ideas suddenly pop into your mind, there is no need to panic, no need to rush to define it, no need to judge it, and then continue to focus on the frequency of your breath. Soon, following these steps, I would find myself able to slowly calm down.

I recommended this method to my friends and family, and most of them said that meditation is very effective in relaxing the mind and body, and can quickly relieve fatigue and anxiety. However, with a busy work and study schedule, it can be difficult to actively remember to set aside ten minutes a day for meditation, so my next step will probably be to look into how to cultivate meditation as a habit. I will also try to stick to daily meditation and feel the long-term effects.