10 Tips & Reminders to Managing FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
Dana Silverstein is a clinical therapist providing coaching & counseling services to meet your unique needs. She is the owner and operator of a small town and growing practice called Dana Silverstein, LMSW, PLLC.
By nature, humans are social beings. We are innately wired to rely on others for basic survival. This starts in the womb and continues from there. As infants, we cry and get our basic needs met. So, where does this become problematic?
As the human brain has developed, it has grown to confuse real danger and survival with a false sense of danger and survival, which I often refer to as "social survival." This is where the "fear of missing out" (FOMO) is created.
FOMO has increased drastically over the years due to several factors. Some of these contributors include social media, a fast-paced lifestyle, and our individualistic, competitive culture.
FOMO is one of the most common shared human experiences. Below are some tips and reminders for managing yours!
No one is going to forget about you for missing one event, party, or gathering.
Use your five senses to stay in your present moment, not someone else’s.
Most of what we miss is not the last and only opportunity.
Find gratitude in your world.
FOMO works similarly to anxiety in that anxiety gives you the worst possible case scenarios that are not true, while FOMO gives you the best possible case scenarios that are taking place without you. You are not missing what your mind is telling you that you are.
Turn FOMO into JOMO – sometimes, there is a joy of missing out. Your friends may be going out in the cold winter weather while you are cozied up with a good book.
Our time is sacred, so make sure you are doing something because you want to be there, not because someone else wants to be there.
Don’t put too much weight and value on one single thing, event, or evening.
Sometimes, we are faced with scheduling conflicts and have to choose. Focus on the gain, not the loss.
Trust your choices.
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Dana Silverstein, Clinical Therapist: Coaching & Counseling
Dana Silverstein, LMSW, is a clinical therapist well known for her eclectic approach and unique techniques to help children, teens, and adults navigate their social-emotional worlds and reach their full potential.
