Episode 64: The FOMO Video

In this episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, we’re discussing FOMO and how to navigate so it doesn’t cause us unnecessary stress in midlife. FOMO can be problematic for us and our kids especially in the age of social media. Learn how you can get past feeling left out.

Are you afraid of missing out?

FOMO or the Fear Of Missing Out can be a struggle even in this phase of life.  But, alas, we can't do all the things and be at all the places, so we must set our priorities, choose what's most important to us, and let go of the rest.  Social media doesn't necessarily make that easy, does it?  We're constantly inundated with what every one around is doing, which can cause us and certainly our kids to feel left out. You'd think at our age that we'd be over FOMO, but that's not always the case.  So, in Episode 64 of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, we're discussing FOMO and what to do about it.  

The best way to navigate FOMO is by being aware of your priorities.  Ask yourself things like "If I make this event, or I take this trip, or if I accept this commitment, does what I'm going to get out of it and it's value replace the value of what I'll be missing?"  Remember that every time you say yes to something, you say no to something else. We've added a few more highlights below.

• Reflect on your core values and be aware of what's most important to you.  It will making saying no to certain things and missing out easier to manage

• Make sure you have a strong "why" around what you are doing with an emotional connection to it.  This will make your "no's" and events you miss less impactful

• If you're feeling exhausted or run down and need a day or night in to rest, don't let FOMO stop you from giving yourself what you need, otherwise you'll likely suffer for it.

• If you or your teen is experiencing FOMO, the cause may  be insecurity.  Teach them that they're their own person and their friends will still be their friends even if they miss an event or get together.  Remind them that they're special in their own right and they don't always have to do all the things.  Remind yourself too.

• Be careful of saying yes to all the things to avoid FOMO because it will likely lead to burn out

In this phase of our life, we're growing and becoming more comfortable with ourselves.  We're more authentic and we're standing on more solid ground  We know what we want out of life and what brings us joy  Every time we step into those spaces, learning to understand ourselves better and being self aware, things like FOMO take a back seat.  The more muscle we exercise on saying no and prioritizing decisions according to our core values, the easier it becomes.  Learn more by clicking the picture above to watch this week's episode of Life after Kids with Drs. Brooke and Lynne, The FOMO Video.  And don't forget that you are UNFORGETTABLE.  You bring something special to the table and to the conversation.  Love yourself enough to know that nobody is going to forget about you if you miss a few events.

FOMO (fear of missing out) is the enemy of valuing your own time.
-Andrew Yang