Summer FOMO: Creating a Season of Joy
Summertime is rapidly approaching and with it the expectation of epic summer plans. On social media, you can see everything from your friend’s recent post about their international vacation to your cousin enjoying a seaside dinner with her partner. If you find yourself wondering “how is everyone having a better summer than me?”, you may be dealing with a case of summer FOMO.
Comparing yourself to others - whether it be on social media, at the office, or within your friend group - is likely to leave you feeling dissatisfied with your summer plans. After all, people are likely to highlight only the best of their summer escapades and leave the messy stuff out of it!
So, how do you really combat the feelings of dissatisfaction with your summer? If you feel like you’re missing out on the summer joy, try out the following steps and take intentional action in crafting your own Season of Joy!
Engage in Value-Oriented Activities:
It’s time to take a good look at what you’re comparing yourself to and figure out if it’s what you REALLY want. The plans that make you feel satisfied and joyful aren’t necessarily the plans that you see others doing!
Value-oriented activities help to dispel summer FOMO because they embody who you are, rather than being based on what has appealed to others.
Take an inventory of your values and try to identify activities that would emulate those values. For example, if you value interconnectedness and competitiveness, joining a recreational sports league would be a value-oriented activity.
Other common values to consider include:
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Use Creativity to Challenge Limitations:
After you’ve compiled a list of some value-oriented activities, you need to reconcile this with what is possible, given your specific set of circumstances. Surfing may satisfy your need for adventure, but if you’re spending your summer far away from the ocean, you may need to employ some creativity to find a surfing-adjacent activity that could work as well! Skateboarding, anyone?
When you’re already feeling doubtful about your summer plans, it can be difficult to get creative. Finding alternative, creative activities is not settling for less, but instead allowing you to create joy where it may not have been possible without it.
If you still find yourself thinking about plans you’ve seen others do, stop fighting these thoughts and use them as starting suggestions to inform your ideas on what could work for you!
Take Intentional Action & Create Joy:
Joy does not always happen by itself, sometimes you need to create it. Now that you’ve identified realistic, value-oriented ideas for summer plans it’s time to take action.
Be courageous in your pursuit of summer fun. Be willing to do an activity alone. Be open-minded to a creative solution you found for a budget constraint. Be committed to giving yourself the chance to enjoy what YOU want and not limit yourself to what others have done! Get Support, Get Results:
If you’re feeling ambivalent about getting started, or need help making these steps work for you, counseling can help you build the skills necessary to live more intentionally so you can craft your season of joy.
If you’re interested in finally feeling satisfied in your life this summer and beyond, I can help you achieve that goal.
Contact me today for your complimentary consultation at 954-391-5305 to discuss how I can help.
I provide counseling for adults in Fort Lauderdale, Florida as well as online therapy via our secure telehealth platform. For more information about my counseling services, click here.
