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By now, you’ve probably all heard about FOMO – fear of missing out. Recently this word has started to spread over social media and the internet like a wildfire.
Thousands of people can connect with the feeling of FOMO, and I admit to being one of them. At first, I was thrilled to find out that there is such a perfect expression for the way I was feeling from time to time.
But as I realised how FOMO was keeping me from being happy, I started to work on overcoming it. Now, that I have cleared most of my life from FOMO, I am shocked to see how many people are letting FOMO get in the way of the life of their dreams.
Because I can tell you from my own experience, FOMO is absolutely toxic for your happiness! If you want to get rid of this unnecessary feeling and start to live a joyful life, you should read along!
1. Get clear over what you are missing out and analyse if it is something you actually want
Sometimes we get caught up in that FOMO when we see other people doing something that looks great on the outside. However, try to imagine yourself doing it. Would you actually want to do it?
Meaning, are you envying the feeling of the activity or more the appearance of it?
I often found myself having FOMO, but when I thought about it, I realised it wasn’t even something I would have wanted to do. That realisation eliminates your evil thoughts in no time.
2. Think about what you would miss out if you would participate
The problem with FOMO is, of course, that we only have 24 hours in a day, and we can’t be in multiple places at the same time.
Meaning, if you would participate in the activity that you fear to miss out on, you would inevitably miss out on something else.
If you go to that party, you miss out on having a beautiful and relaxing evening at home.
If you check your social media every half an hour to make sure you never miss anything “important,” you miss out enjoying the now.
You should always take a step back, and consider if this would even be a trade worth making. Because as soon as you decide that what you are currently doing is more important, you lessen that feeling of missing out on something you desire less.
In the end, it’s all about how you want to spend to your time, how you prioritise it. Therefore I strongly recommend you to take a look at 15 Ways To Spend Your Time Wisely.
3. Think about times you or others have missed out on something, was it that bad?
I am sure you’ve had those moments before, where you couldn’t go to that party, or you couldn’t meet up with those friends, or you had no internet connection to stay up to date on social media.
Think back to those moments. Have you really missed out on something important? Was it something so significant as to justify that immense fear of missing out?
I doubt many of you can answer that with a yes. So why keep worrying if nothing wrong ever came from it?
4. Overcome your limiting beliefs
More often than not, this fear of missing out stems from the limiting belief that this is a one in a kind opportunity that will never be available again.
And sure, that one specific party on that one particular day will never happen again. But don’t you think there will be a lot of similar parties in the future?
Sometimes, there are moments in our life where we are presented with a one of a kind opportunity that could change our lives forever. Of course, in those moments, FOMO should be your motivation to go for it.
However, most often then not, these are not moments in which we experience FOMO. Those are moments in which we are too scared to take a risk and go for it.
In which case you should definitely think about the lessons in 7 Reasons Why Failure Is Important For Success.
FOMO mostly surrounds very mundane activities. Those kinds of opportunities that happen all the time. So don’t let FOMO destroy the now. Instead, look forward to the next opportunity.
5. Slow down
Sometimes all we need to stop these toxic thoughts is to slow down. Try to incorporate a daily practice of mindfulness and meditation.
A calming Yoga flow can also stop your mind from going 200 mph.
Next time you feel FOMO, try one of these practices, and then reevaluate the situation. I am sure you will feel more rational about it and realise that there is not much to miss out on.
6. Practice gratitude
Gratitude is the antidote for all of life’s negativity. If you are grateful for what you do experience right now, you can’t fear to miss out on anything at the same moment.
Of course, in the beginning, it won’t be easy to feel grateful for anything when you have those negative thoughts going through your head.
That’s why it’s so important to practice gratitude daily. Start small and list three things every morning that you appreciate in your life. After a while, you can take the next step, and every time you catch yourself, being stressed, anxious, or depressed, try to feel grateful for something in your life.
With time this will get easier and easier, and before you know it, gratitude will get you out of any negative state within seconds.
7. Step away from social media
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the most significant fuel of FOMO is social media. And if you take away its fuel, the fire will slowly but inevitably become smaller and smaller.
So try to reduce the time you spend on social media. In addition to that, go through your Following and mute or unfollow every account that evokes some negative emotion from you.
Social media can be a fantastic tool for inspiration, motivation, and overall happiness. But you have to use it as a tool and don’t let yourself be controlled by it!
I hope these 7 tips will help you overcome that FOMO and enjoy living your life even more.
As always, I encourage you to keep working towards that extraordinary life of your dreams. I know at times it may seem like you are not making any progress, but each day that you are working towards it, you are planting a seed that will sprout in the future.
I believe in you!
Sophie
