Has FOMO Become FOGO?

The fear of going out.

Ahh, physical distancing. Some people skip around a parked car and into the road to avoid you; others practically give you a cuddle while reaching for the yogurt in Woolies. Everyone’s reacting to distancing differently, so for some, a trip to the outside world can be an anxiety-inducing event.

The way we socialise has changed forever. Once upon a time we cursed being double booked and having to miss that weekend away with our rowdiest friends. Now some of us relish cancelling plans, with the good of humanity as our valid excuse. So has FOMO flipped on its head and become FOGO? Or what the kids are calling, ‘Fear Of Going Out’.

Those tentative steps back into reality can be cautious. Understandably so – we’ve been locked down for a few months now, with a fairly scary enemy banging at the door. Some don’t mind lockdown at all. But where does caution end and all-out winter hibernation begin?

“We cancelled all our plans this weekend!” One colleague announced in our Monday morning Zoom WIP. A brag that was met with groans of jealousy among the rest of the team. Now that we’re not banned from meeting up are we missing the Get Out Of Jail Free card we had in our back pocket? We’re running out of excuses not to go out.

Anecdotally, everyone I speak to is planning to work more flexibly in their new post-covid life and make the most of their workplace’s WFH policy. With all this ‘me time’ are we in danger of forgetting how to do ‘we time’?

We’ve already talked about setting your own boundaries and doing what feels comfortable to you, so what else can you do?

@lukeedwardhall

Start small
It’s a good idea to start with smaller catch ups – go for coffee with one friend and remember what it’s like to sit in a public place and see a new person (not your partner or Moira Rose from Schitt's Creek. Netflix is not real life, as I have to remind myself on the daily!) Debriefing on this unique period in our lives can also help us process what’s going on around us and how we’re really doing.

@lucywilliams02

Dress the part
According to clinical psychologist, Dr Aileen Alegado, “Dressing according to what you need to get done helps with motivation.” Parking your sweats and swapping into ‘outside clothes’ conveys to your brain that you're engaging in a different activity than you have been while hibernating at home and in turn, helps you to hold yourself differently.

If socialising in a group still feels overwhelming, it’s OK to do things at your own pace. Why not make sure your home feels like the sanctuary it is? Fashion a table cloth and have a candlelit dinner at the table; make things homely with cosy throws and pillows in time for winter; enjoy a bath and your favourite tunes.

Cosy, like home but good enough to go out in...

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