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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 5, 2016)
FEATURES 6A Obsessed with missing out Dear Annie: My friends have brought to my attention that I have a chronic case of FOMO (fear of miss- ing out). I have to admit they’re right. With social media, I can’t help but constantly check what’s going on. I have anxiety that I’m not going out enough, not socializing enough and not making enough friends. I keep deleting my social media accounts, but then I cave and reactivate them a few days later. For instance, I recently went to a concert with my boyfriend. We were having a great time, but then I saw a picture of a lot of my friends at a housewarming party. They looked as if they were having a blast. My boyfriend immediately noticed my expression as I looked at my phone and got angry that I was obsessing over what else was going on again. My previous boyfriend also com- plained that I was always on my phone and I seemed to be somewhere else mentally. I know they’re right, but I still do it. I can’t help but feel anxious that I’ve missed opportuni- ties. How do you squash this feeling? — Stereotypical Millennial Dear Stereotypical: Sadly, you’re not alone. The fear-of-missing-out plague runs rampant among today’s youth. The irony is that FOMO actu- ally makes you miss out on life. The Dear Annie By Annie Lane Creators Syndicate Inc. constant anxiety about what you may be missing prevents you from living in the present. Scrolling endlessly through photo feeds on social media, worried there’s someplace else you should be, you have no awareness of your surroundings or the people you are with and can actually talk to. Look into mindfulness medita- tion, and try taking a break from social media again. There are programs out there (one has the apt name of Self- Control) that allow you to block your- self from accessing certain websites. And keep in mind that everything looks much more fun the way people present it on the internet. Dear Annie: My husband and I both have Facebook accounts. We are friends on Facebook, so I see his posts and he sees mine. Occasionally, he will comment on a woman’s pic- ture (usually a younger woman) to say that she is very pretty or “looking good” and that her husband is a lucky man to have her. I have told him that this both- ers me. In the 49 years we’ve been together, he has never once told me that I am pretty or attractive or that he is a lucky man to have me. Yet he con- tinues to make these comments about other women on social media. Am I being overly sensitive, or is he being overly insensitive? I never make comments like this about men because I know it would make him angry. — Feeling Ugly in Arkansas Dear Feeling Ugly: Oink, oink — what a pig. If anyone should feel ugly, it’s your husband for being so insensitive — not only to you but also to people he may be bothering with these unsolicited comments (such as the women’s “lucky” husbands). You have every right to be upset about that. But the part of your letter that really got me to sit up indignantly in my chair was that in 49 years, he hasn’t told you you’re attrac- tive or said he’s lucky to have you. Though people have different ways of expressing love, everyone needs words of afirmation now and then. Tell your husband how good it would make you feel if he complimented you sometimes. A little goes a long way. THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2016 Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You don’t need it; it’s dragging you down. And yet, there’s an inexplicable attachment going on that makes it difficult for you to cut ties. So, stop trying to explain it and cut anyway. This is a case of ad- dition by subtraction. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you had the power to change the world in any way, how would it change? You’re learning that you have more power than you think. Fantasize along these lines and then dial it down to the action you can take today. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Face it. If it weren’t for you, a certain item on the list wouldn’t get done. You’re the only one who is both responsible and capable enough to ac- complish this. Is it perhaps time you trained a replacement? CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your open-hearted ways leave you vulnerable, and you’ll quickly learn that this is a good thing to- day, as mutual attractions and reciprocal inten- tions make you richer in joy and dollars. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Trying to convince someone of your rightness will be a waste of time. You’re better off moving along to find the person who already accepts that you know what you’re talking about and will build with you from there. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’re well-con- sidered, and this will be apparent when what people are saying about you gets back to you. You don’t put tons of stock in the opinions of others, and yet you realize that a good reputa- tion is a cherished possession. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It takes discipline to flow attention toward the things and people you know are most important to the situation when such attractive distractions are being FRANK AND ERNEST BLONDIE THATABABY SALLY FORTH PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN B.C. LOLA DILBERT SIX CHIX BIZARRO MUTTS NON SEQUITUR BABY BLUES WIZARD OF ID ZITS ROSE IS ROSE strategically and deliberately thrown in your path. This is a test! SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). First you were trying to get someone’s attention, but now that you’ve achieved what you set out to do, you could care less. With nothing to prove and no one to prove it to, you’ll move with what moves you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Offering advice makes the conversation about you. No matter how good your advice may be (and yours would be exceptional, considering your experience) a listening ear is still the best thing you could offer. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Because you’re mentally and physically going at a faster pace than 90 percent of the population today, the urge to interrupt will come often. However, the right time to interrupt is never. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Even though you accept the people around you just as they are, you tend to be extremely hard on yourself. There’s something you’re trying to achieve, and until you rise to the occasion, you can’t seem to let up on yourself. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). It’s as though you’ve been growing this sense of purpose in- side you and it’s suddenly become so strong as to drive your whole being. It’s always been there, but in its seedling form the world didn’t notice like they will today. TUESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 6). You’ve a lot of explaining to do, not because you’ve erred, but because your natural leadership qualities put you in a teaching position. Your contribu- tion will touch lives in an overwhelmingly posi- tive way. Next month puts bonus money in the bank. Consider using it to travel. May features passionate kisses. Gemini and Scorpio adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 1, 3, 33 and 14.
