FOMO

The fear of missing out (commonly known as FOMO) is a familiar feeling of anxiety that we experience when we are aware of social gatherings without our presence. This summer, I’ll be out of my hometown for 17 consecutive days. As I near half of that time out of town, the amount of FOMO I’ve been feeling has been at an all-time high. 

Gifted Kid Burnout

I’ve seen the words “gifted kid burnout” on various social media platforms for a long time. For example, the “giftedkidburnout” hashtag on Tiktok has almost 200 million views. While the context of the hashtag’s use is typically comedic and results in a good laugh, there is an overwhelming truth behind gifted kid burnout. I have found myself relating to some of the posts online, but what does that term even mean? “Gifted kid burnout” results from long-term stress that originates from the pressure placed on kids that have been labeled “gifted” from a young age or were in the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program. 

Meet Jennifer!

Hey, everyone! My name is Jennifer Vu, and I am the Director of Writing at Magnify Wellness. Thank you for being here! I’ll be sharing the stories that have shaped me into the person I am today and my journey thus far at Magnify Wellness.

TW: discussions of sexual harassment, Asian fetishization, and self-harm.

On the morning of February 17th, 2021, I was in an online class talking to my peers, in an individual breakout room we were assigned to. Suddenly, something struck my body — a voice filling up my mind. At this point, I relived an exact moment: what he had done on a FaceTime call three months before. All felt distant, except for this palpable memory. I was not who I am anymore. The only thing I could see was my 14-year-old self on FaceTime, the only thing I could feel was his eyes, staring at my body without a blink, and the only thing I could hear was his voice, constantly annoying me with statements about how good my body looked and making fetishizing remarks about the “fragility” of Asian girls.

Meet Grace!

Hi, all! My name is Grace Martin and I am a member of the Writing Team at Magnify Wellness! I’m excited to share a little piece of myself with you and share why I began my journey with Magnify!

The Productivity Obsession

Productivity keeps us moving toward finishing our work and motivates us to work harder to check off the bullets on our to-do list. Soon, it rewards us with the feeling that we need to work more to gain something, whether that would be a raise, becoming valedictorian, a Division I scholarship, or recognition from an important figure in our lives. Productivity brings us to our goals much more efficiently.

“Productivity Obsession,” also known as hyper-productivity, workaholicism, or overwork, describes how someone can be addicted to working and feeling productive. It’s an oxymoron derived from the need to micromanage every aspect of one’s life. The issue can be concealed extremely well and depends on many factors, but it all starts with one’s attachment and identity dependency on a job. 

The Effects of Infatuation

The one thing I have never fully understood until now was the phrase ‘seeing everything through rose-colored glasses’ where everything feels like a fairytale, and you get to see life how you want it to look. This is especially true when it comes to love — when the glasses are on, they are a sign of something called “Infatuation”.

Does Money Buy Us Happiness?

While it may be odd to contemplate that compulsively spending money has anything to do with mental health, retail therapy — often classified as a euphemism for this coping method — is widely popular in the world of mental wellness. Spending money and material objects could be the result of short-term fulfillment, but does money actually buy us happiness?

The Effects of Negative News

The wide variety of news sources available to the public allows us to understand what is occurring in our community, country, and world. Although news channels can quickly provide information to the public, they often cover many negative and sensitive topics, such as politics or militarization. These negative new reports can have an impact on our mental health. 

Procrastination

Time management has always been something I am rather good at, yet at the same time, I am bad at it.

Procrastination is my worst enemy, when I know I have a final to study for, all of a sudden I have been watching Pretty Little Liars for three hours and then end up cramming at the end of the day. When I am good with my time, however, I start everything as soon as I receive the work so I don’t have to worry about it later. It is an ongoing battle between my brain and me, but I don’t think anybody wins in the end.

Going Back Online

On January 3rd, 2022, the United States reported one million COVID cases and two and a half million cases worldwide daily. With it being almost two years since the start of quarantine, and the addition of extra measures to prevent the spread (vaccines, double-masking), many are ready to shift back to old lifestyles. The holidays lately have connected families, and with the reopening of many services, there is a substantially higher chance of the spread of COVID. Now that travel restrictions have loosened and simply others feeling more comfortable with large crowds of people, COVID has surged, once again — except now, this boom is now affecting schools and universities, extremely similar to the closure of March 13th, 2020.