When everyone else is on vacation and you’re not

Let’s set the scene. It’s August, you're scrolling through your phone, minding your business, and there it is, another beach pic, another smiling group in matching linen shirts, another hammock. Another “out of the office” caption. And maybe you like the post because you’re a good sport, right? But then you sit there holding your lukewarm coffee, and it hits you like a wave that didn’t ask permission: FOMO.

Yeah, that old friend - Fear of Missing Out - in all its loud glittery glory. And wow, it is noisier in the summer, because summer is sold to us like a movie montage. All glowing skin and laughter and breezy sunsets. But what if yours looks more like a cluttered inbox, reheated leftovers, and no vacation in sight? What if you’re still showing up, doing your thing while the world seems to be out there living theirs?

You’re not imagining it, FOMO hits different when the sun’s out and everyone seems to be somewhere else.

The Summer Comparison Vortex

Summer is supposed to be fun, easy, and Instagrammable. And if it’s not? You start feeling like maybe you're doing something wrong.

Like, how is everyone affording to jet off to Italy right now? And how do they have all this time off? And wait... are they cruising off on another trip?

You can be rational about it. You can acknowledge people post the good stuff and leave the rest out, but your mind still runs around and around. It’s like your feed becomes saturated with the glory of other people’s perfect summers, and you're left feeling like you’re missing out on some great adventure.

But the truth is, you are not broken for feeling a little bitter, and that ache in your chest? It is valid.

Jealousy or Envy Does Not Make You a Bad Person

Can we just normalize this one? Feeling envious does not mean you’re a terrible friend or a jealous monster. It just means you’re, well… human.

You can be genuinely happy for someone and still feel the sting of being left out. Those two things can sit next to each other. You don’t have to shove it down or guilt-trip yourself for feeling it.

Instead of fighting it, maybe ask: what’s underneath this feeling? Is it that you’re tired? That you need a break too? That you wish someone else would take the wheel for a bit?

Your feelings are trying to tell you something. Listen, do not scold.

Small Joys Still Matter

Okay, so you’re not on a plane, you’re not sipping something sparkly on a rooftop in Spain. That’s alright.

What would make this day just a little bit better?

An iced coffee you didn’t make yourself? Turning off your phone for an hour? Sitting in a patch of sun, even if it’s just on your front step? Saying no to that one thing you really do not want to do?

These aren’t throwaway moments, they’re the stuff that makes ordinary days feel a little more liveable, they’re your version of summer magic.

For the Woman Who Feels Like She’s Missing Out

Let us get this straight: you are not late to some great adventure, and you are not missing something that everyone else got handed.

Some seasons are about blooming while others are about the quiet hard work, underground healing, and resting. That work matters too. It doesn’t come with pretty pictures, but it’s still sacred.

You don’t have to earn joy; you don’t need a vacation to deserve rest; and you’re allowed to feel good even if your life isn’t all that shiny right now.

You Are Not Doing It Wrong

Not everyone checks out in August. Some of us are still here working, caregiving, surviving, just trying to hold it together. And if that’s you? You are not alone.

Summer isn’t only for the ones who can escape; it belongs to you, too, right here in the messy middle of real life.

You’re allowed to claim beauty and rest, even if it doesn’t come with a scenic view. So go ahead, take up that space, breathe, be where you are.

It is enough. You are enough. And August is still yours.