FOMO – its something we are all a little too familiar with. For those of you that have mastered the art of having no regrets, FOMO stands for “fear of missing out.”
Have you ever been exhausted after a long day of work but accepted an invitation to go out with your friends because you’d regret it if you didn’t? Have you ever gone to that concert without sufficient dough, just in case you wouldn’t have the chance to go again? Well, that’s FOMO at its finest.
As someone that has always been super outgoing and social, I’m all too familiar with FOMO. I could never say no to anything because I’d always wonder what I’d be missing out on. No matter how tired or packed my schedule may have been, I’d still be a yes-man.
It’s important to learn how to deal with FOMO, and how to recognize, acknowledge, and dissipate your fears. With the following steps, after a couple of weeks, you won’t even remember what FOMO felt like.
- Spend some time alone and get comfortable with it.
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Realize you don’t need to be around other people to have a good time. You can have fun all on your own. As you grow up, something important to learn is how to be alone. The sooner you enjoy your own company, the happier you will be.
- Live off of social media.
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Refreshing your Instagram feed and Snapchat stories every fifteen minutes is unhealthy; especially if it means that all you’re doing is watching minute-by-minute updates of the event that you didn’t attend. If you’re less addicted to your phone and social media, you will have fewer reminders of all the functions you didn’t go to.
- Remember, social media only highlights the good.
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Your friends won’t post pictures of the hour-long lines they had to stand in to get into their concert, or put up stories about how hot and claustrophobic it was. Realize that social media is a bit of a sham and that in reality, that event was probably not as amazing as you think it was.
- Be okay with not being able to master it all.
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At the end of the day, you’re only human and we all have our limits – be it mentally, financially, or health-wise. There’s only so much we can bear and manage. If you don’t have the energy to go out, remind yourself your body needs rest to be at its best. If you’re tight on money, remember it is short-lived, and once your paycheck comes in, you can treat yourself. If you’re ill, going out would probably make you feel worse.
- Realize you have a whole lifetime ahead of you.
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No matter how old or young you may be, you have years ahead of you to make new memories, visit new places, and do new things. You will have an abundance of opportunities as you grow to do all the things you want to.
Ultimately, tackling your FOMO requires self-awareness. It’s essential to focus on the present and be thankful for where you’re at. Life can get pretty tough sometimes, and there’s no point in making it any harder for yourself.