FOMO—fear of missing out—is the feeling that everyone else is living a more exciting, connected, or fulfilling life than you. It often shows up around people we know, but it can also come from parasocial relationships: watching strangers online do things we wish we were doing. According to the Cleveland Clinic, FOMO can happen at any stage of life and for countless reasons. Scientifically, it’s rooted in our innate need for connection and belonging, which is why it can hit especially hard in younger adulthood—when we’re still figuring out who we are, where we fit, and what we want. FOMO is also closely linked to self-esteem and can lead to intrusive thoughts, comparison, and emotional overwhelm when it starts disrupting our peace.

In this episode, we talk about how to fight back against FOMO by recognizing it for what it is: a trigger response, not the truth. Most of the time, we’re not actually missing the event—we’re missing the feeling we think it would give us, like connection, excitement, or validation. When you identify that feeling, you can find healthier, more aligned ways to meet that need. We also explore anchoring yourself in your “why,” trusting your decisions, and letting go of fictional assumptions about how your absence looks to others. Saying no doesn’t mean you’re falling behind—it often means you’re choosing yourself. FOMO is a feeling, not a fact, and learning to stand by your choices can be one of the most grounding skills you build in your 20s.

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