Why You're Really Feeling Travel Jealousy, And The Best Way To Deal With It

Travel envy, at its core, is technically just a form of FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out. Per a study published on the Computers in Human Behavior, FOMO is defined as "the uneasy and sometimes all-consuming feeling that you're missing out – that your peers are doing, in the know about, or in possession of more or something better than you." And apparently, just because you have FOMO, it doesn't mean that you're already a bad person. FOMO, in whichever form it manifests in you, is an entirely human feeling, with psychologist Aarti Gupta telling NPR that it's rooted in humans being innately social. We all "rely on each other to survive," she said, "and being left out or not being in the know could have, once upon a time, been a matter of life or death."

Being struck with feelings of FOMO is even easier now that technology and social media exist. Everyone with an online presence is accessible, so you can keep tabs on what your peers are doing and achieving. Giving into the feeling, though, is dangerous, as it can affect your mental health and make you feel depressed and anxious. When that happens, it's time to re-evaluate and manage your feelings.