One of the latest slang acronyms is FOMO, and if you don’t know what it stands for, you’re probably thinking, “what the heck is that?”

Today in our very connected society, it is the Fear Of Missing Out. And this is more that just not getting asked to go to a birthday party; FOMO is such a big, common phenomenon that it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013, and it shows how sad and depressed our society can potentially be– including our aging parents.

3 Steps to Avoiding FOMO

• Realize that social media shows the cherry-picked part of your friend’s life. Social media is not the devil, but we need to understand that it is a wonderful tool to see what people are doing and catch up. However, it should be a starting block and not the only method. You should not go on to social media every hour to see if your friends and family are leaving you out. You should use social media to see what people are doing and call them or, better yet, visit them. Social media can be a great tool to connect in real time with friends and family.
• Focus on inner happiness and not what “The Jones” are doing. Oftentimes, we look at social media and see what our friends are doing and get depressed that our life is not as exciting. Or our aging parents see how their friends are going out and doing all these amazing activities, and they feel left out and alone. This is a vicious cycle when we constantly compare our lives to others. It is okay to disconnect and find happiness in what you enjoy and what makes you, you! Sometimes we just get so caught up in what others are doing and we think we are missing out or not up to par if we are not doing the same thing. Take time to be yourself! If you like all the latest movies, then go to them. If you like traveling to the same coffee shop to visit with friends, then do it. Live your own life and not through everyone around you.
• Spend time being grateful. Take just a few minutes and look around you. Look at the life you have built or things that remind you of time well spent with family or friends. Having gratitude is often the secret to happiness. Being grateful can and will improve your quality of life according to Laura Carstensen and her talk on why older people are happier. The bottom line being grateful is great for mental health and leads to a positive and happy life.

The time is now to overcome the FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out, and enjoy the moment and the things that make you happy. Embrace life and do things that are engaging like interacting with friends and family! Need more tips on living a happy life as you age? Contact Ann at Senior Living Options today!

Author: Ann Jamison

Ann Jamison is an experienced senior advisor who has successfully worked with hundreds of families to help them find the best care and home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. Prior to launching Senior Living Options, Ann was an eldercare advisor for a national placement agency and served as sales director at a senior living community. Thanks to her 25-year career in advertising sales and marketing, Ann is able to discern between hype and reality for her clients. Ann recognizes that there are objective factors that need to be weighed when making a life-changing decision, but she can also assess the important softer attributes by getting to know her clients and by using the gut instincts that can only come through extended experience.