Fest300's Tips on How to Cure Your Burning Man FOMO

Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarus

Wed September 02, 2015 | 00:00 AM


Not on the playa right now? I feel you. I had the opportunity (my first time!) to go to Burning Man this year, but I procrastinated on a decision until it was a little more than a month before the mecca to Black Rock City, and I chickened out for various reasons. Mainly, I wanted to be able to arrive knowing I had contributed at least some quality hours of my time helping whatever theme camp I joined reach its goals for the Burn.

But then I began to consider all the other investments people pour into their Burning Man preparations. Aside from the physical investment of helping build art cars or installations, or volunteering and fundraising, there's the money spent in advance, the emotional investment you put into Burning Man (both leading up to it and while you're there), and the hours of sleep lost while you're at TTITD.

Now that everyone's away at Burning Man, I'm definitely feeling the FOMO creeping into my psyche. To quell my restless "everyone's having the time of their lives without me" thoughts, I turned my attention to how I could be putting the physical and emotional investment, money spent, and hours of sleep lost to good use back here in the Default World. Hopefully my ideas can help you with your own Burning Man FOMO.

Burning Man Fomo Infographic Final 3

Photo by: Chris Hong

I hope this helps you feel at least a little better about spending what would've been your Burning Man adventure stuck in the real world. In the end, you'll be even more prepared for that playa journey you make in 2016.