Do you feel like you are missing something, being unaware of opportunities, not attending get-together parties, not spending enough time with the family? You feel that you are missing out on a lot of things in your life and it scares you a bit. This is the fear of missing out (FOMO) and it is not a problem or something that should scare you. There is always a way out of it but first, you should understand what exactly it is and how it is affecting you.
People usually experience FOMO with the opportunities that are yet to come or that have passed, or with the people in their close circle. A common example is being worried about the events that you might miss or any activity that your close friends are having, and you might check your phone or social media constantly to see what they are doing. It can affect your emotional well-being along with physical health.
How do you know that you have FOMO?
Fear of missing out makes you uncomfortable and consuming most of the time. For instance, you might fear that the people close to you are doing something incredible where you are left out and they are doing better than you. FOMO has become more like an obsession and frustration with the help of social media and smartphones. Social media gives you the information that might not be necessary for you to know and it creates this anticipation where you think others are doing better than you.
Moreover, FOMO can also happen on a larger scale when a substantial number of people are at the same place and invest in something just because they think that this is something they should do because others are doing it. This can lead to financial bubbles where people can make the wrong decisions in their financial life just because of the fear of being left out and ignoring a bit of opportunity.
The side-effects of FOMO
If you have FOMO, you might not realise it at the moment but you know how badly it affects their life. It shows negative effects on people’s well-being emotionally and mentally. Mental health concerns like fatigue, stress, anxiety, and frustration can cause them to lead to serious mental and physical health issues.
Also, FOMO leads to the excessive and unsafe use of social media. It becomes so much addictive that it can cause anxiety and stress. People with FOMO tend to look into social media even at night just to see what other people are up to. FOMO tends to interfere with people’s lives so much and so their daily activities are affected. It keeps them distracted and uncomfortable all the time so it becomes difficult for them to concentrate on what they are doing.
How to overcome FOMO
If by now, you think you are a lost cause and you cannot turn back, you need to change that thought. There are plenty of ways you can overcome FOMO and focus on the good parts of your life. Let’s take a look at a few:
1. Maintain a journal
Maintaining a journal can help you with a lot of issues including FOMO. You should write all the good and bad things that are happening to you. Writing this way will remind you that there are plenty of good things in your life and you don’t have to worry that you are missing anything. You just need five minutes of your day to do it and you will feel a lot better.
2. Stop Comparing
Understand that everyone is different. We all are unique in our ways and people can never be of the same personality. So, stop comparing yourself with others over everything especially with celebrities, influencers, and famous people who only show glittery life. Just understand that posting happy faces and fantasised lifestyle doesn’t mean that they are happy. It is just the way they want to show their lives to the people.
3. Acknowledge the issues and seek help
You might be worried that other people are going on with their lives and there is something that you are missing. Where in fact, there might be some issues going on with your life making you that you are not recognising and acknowledging thus making your life difficult. The more difficulties you face, the more you blame it on others and compare yourself to them. Where it is all about knowing what is wrong happening with you and seeking the right to help you to get through it, you just think you aren’t good enough and never move on.
4. The difference between wish and need
You need to distinguish between what you truly require to get on with your life and what you just merely wish because you see it in other people’s lives. Think about what you are wishing in your life, and learn to say ‘no’ when you know you shouldn’t proceed. For instance, your friends are going for a picnic and you think it would be a great idaea to get along with them, you said yes. But, when your friends are drinking alcohol, you can find it cool but you know you shouldn’t have it just because you find it cool.
5. Mindfulness
When you are being frustrated about certain things, you forget to feel what is there for you in your life. You need to practise mindfulness for everything you have and everything you do. The more you become mindful, the better you will feel about the things you have in your life, and the less you would worry about the things others have in their life. So, know exactly what you have and how you feel about the things you have.
FOMO is a genuine issue but you can deal with it once you realise that you are all caught up in it. Know why you are facing it and what should be done to overcome and you will feel better very soon. Moreover, freedom from FOMO can give a boost to your career and success.