austin-moms-blog-fear-of-missing-out

I have “FOMO” or Fear Of Missing Out. The first step is admitting there’s a problem, right?

I’m not quite sure if the fear of missing out on something is a trait you’re born with, develop through the years, or a problem that has come to light since social media has taken over. I do know for a fact that social media makes that type of fear surface with every refresh of your Facebook or Instagram feed. As a society, we need to know what is going on right now. I am no exception. I want to know the latest updates, the recent comment, and keep up with the Austin community of moms.

See, the fear of missing out typically starts with something small. For example, you see a photo come through your newsfeed of a group of friends out at a fun restaurant or at the lake, and a thought of “I wish I were doing that” sneaks into your head. Not really a big deal, right? Just wait. Then, you see a photo album from an acquaintance’s vacation and you’re convinced that you need to do that exact same thing at some point. Soon, it turns into thoughts of places to vacation, weekend plans, or other life-related milestones. With FOMO, you want to be everywhere doing everything. The issue is that you are actually everywhere and nowhere at the same time. You’re too busy wishing you were someplace else to really enjoy whatever it is that you’re doing at the moment. It is a larger problem than just missing out on a weekend of fun or of mimosa brunch. Many people are wishing their lives away by always trying to be in two places at once: where they actually are AND where their friends are on the newsfeed. Usually that date night is expensive, that lake is dirty, and your friend’s job is actually pretty terrible. Even an Instagram filter can’t cover that one up. At least that is what I tell myself to feel better.

I am writing today to help hold myself accountable to let go of this fear. We have all promised to put our devices down at one point in time, but do we really stick with it? No. To be honest, Facebook is my only adult “interaction” when I’m knee deep in laundry and cleaning. It’s fun to see what everyone is doing, but I need to limit that screen time. After watching my Facebook newsfeed and Instagram blow up with back to school photos and sentiments from parents, I decided that I need to be more present. My daughters are growing up way too fast and I will never get this season of life back. I want them to remember the times I pushed them in the swing instead of the moments I was glued to my phone. Next, I plan on not taking for granted what I am doing in the moment. It might be minor, like watching a movie with my husband, but I am guilty of checking my phone during moments like that. It goes back to the lyric: You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Instead, I will try to now know what I’ve got…before it’s gone.

When you truly unplug from the world, it feels refreshing. I challenge you to try it. You might end up having such a good time that one of your friends on social media gets FOMO about it.

mc

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