*Jessica was a social butterfly who had a wide circle of friends who adored her. Whatever she tackled, she tackled it head on and with a force to be reckoned with. Good enough was never enough for her. Whether she was hosting thanksgiving dinner, arranging playdates or just shopping she was always making sure she didn’t leave any tummy unfilled, leave the loner out or miss out on a deal.
Discovery of FOMO
Through some lengthy discussions, we realized she had FOMO, or fear of missing out. She always wanted to be where the action was, and was never content to sit on the sidelines. She was always up for anything, from trying new restaurants to leading the latest volunteer event at one of her 5 children’s schools to make sure they didn’t miss out on anything due to lack of funds.
But Jessica’s FOMO could also be a double-edged sword. She struggled to slow down and take a break, always worried that she might be missing out on something exciting. And when she did take a step back, she could feel a sense of anxiety and restlessness creeping in.
The First Session
The first session was just a relaxing session. I played some himalayan sound bowls on and around her body. I played the gong and led her through a sound journey that included a pentatonic wood flute and various chimes.
Guided Meditation
A week later, she was ready for somatic energy therapy. After some Reiki and sound healing therapy, I gently took her to a place where she felt safe and relaxed and she could start remembering all the times she had been left out. She was the youngest of seven children. By the time she was part of the family, her parents were tired and burnt out. She has memories of being left on the school bus because she fell asleep, waking up as the bus driver did her check at the end of the route. Realizing no one had even noticed she didn’t make it home. Another memory was being left in the car late at night because her parents didn’t want to wake her – but she woke up in a dark car, cold and alone. Time and time again, she was sent to bed while the older kids got to watch a movie, or during chore time was separated from the older kids so she could have an easier chore.
What’s surprising is that none of these events were so traumatic that she was taken away from her home by CPS. But these events nonetheless shaped her life and developed behaviors that kept her from enjoying the simple things in life because she was always chasing the most exciting and best of everything. And then living in regret because she felt she hadn’t made the right decision.
A Freeing Shopping Experience
The next day she decided to go to Target. It was an exciting trip because she didn’t have one close to her. She normally would spend hours and hours, making sure she looked at every item in the store, if not at least pass by it. But this time was different. She felt overwhelmed and after less than an hour, she had only purchased the items she went there to buy. She told me about this with a sense of wonder. How much had her FOMO affected other areas of her life?
Connecting with her Son
Weeks later, she has noticed a major improvement in being present with her children’s lives and her own. Taking time to have a hot cocoa in the morning, walking to improve her health and spending time just with her youngest outdoors and letting him wander and play.
Not everyone is suffering so much that they can’t function. But many are suffering just enough that they aren’t living a life of peace and joy. Jessica is an example of a woman who lived her life to the fullest from an outsider’s perspective – but thanks to the self healing of somatic energy therapy – now she is living her life to the fullest from her soul’s perspective.
*Jessica’s name was changed to protect her privacy.