Social media is a wonderfully easy way to stay connected with the people in your life, yet it can also increase anxiety and lead to a disconnection from oneself.
Why?
FOMO. Fear of missing out.
The Oxford English dictionary defines FOMO as: “Anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website.”
FOMO is endemic:
If you have a habit of constantly checking email and social media posts, you could be susceptible to the detrimental effects of FOMO as well.
Studies have shown FOMO is linked to feelings of dissatisfaction:
To combat negative thought patterns that arise from FOMO, McLaughlin suggests the mental exercise of reframing. Track your negative thoughts in a journal, analyze them to learn how they may be limiting you, and replace them with more reasonable ones.
Reframing helps you generate a better response to a negative thought or emotion or any self-defeating action or behavior. It’s one of the techniques used in the New Behavior Generator Paraliminal.
For example, a friend posts to social media about a whirlwind vacation to a country you always dreamed of visiting. You’re feeling a little jealous because you’re unable to escape obligations and responsibilities for such a wonderful adventure.
Consider how your response conflicts with your well-being:
To turn conflicting thoughts, feelings, and actions into resources that support your success and well-being, listen to the New Behavior Generator Paraliminal in the MINDTRX app. It includes two sessions, one helps you neutralize behaviors that get in the way of your goals and the other helps you acquire new behaviors to achieve them.
Simply push play, close your eyes, relax, and listen. This closed-eye process activates your "whole mind" with a precise blend of music and words to help you get the most out of every minute.
