FOMO, or fear of missing out, is having uneasy or all-consuming feelings that you are missing out on things that others are doing, enjoying and succeeding in. If you have this feeling or believe that your friends have it better than you, then you are experiencing FOMO.

FOMO is not in any way a good thing because it makes you do things you should not be doing in the first place just because you want to have every possible option. You are always saying yes to social and business invitations you don’t necessarily want to attend only because you feel like others will be in on something big and you will be left out.

You are constantly checking social media to be in the know at all times and when your phone rings, you instantly answer it.

The anxiety will wane, some of the time, but it won’t. A lot of young adults find themselves dealing with this phenomenon and even though it sounds like a modern life symptom, it a vicious cycle you definitely need to break.

Where does FOMO come from?

As surprising as it sounds, it comes from unhappiness. Fear of missing out happens to people who are not feeling good about their lives. If you keep wondering if everybody else is having more fun or more business success in their lives, then you feel the need to find out, which takes much of your time and energy away from working on your own enjoyment and success. 

What most people don’t realise is that they don’t feel better after finding out; they end up feeling worse, especially if they discover that friends or business colleagues are actually having such a blast.

Going to social media for happiness will not work. Happiness comes from within but when you are so wrapped up in other people’s world, you lose interest in your world.

How do you get rid of FOMO?

• ·        Be aware you have it - You first need to acknowledge that you are actually feeling this fear then work towards improving it.
• ·        Be honest - To yourself as well as to others. If you say yes to everything for the fear of missing out on anything, you will spread yourself to thinly to actually accomplish anything.
• ·        Don’t procrastinate - Undecided things just take up a certain brain capacity for no reason. If you might not be able to accomplish something, say no immediately and that will be settled. Gauge the opportunities and decide what will be more worthwhile then commit to it.
• ·        Be grateful for what you have - If you are grateful for all the things you have in your life, you will be happier. If you can imagine losing some of the important things in your life like family and friends and your career, then you will be able to appreciate them and be grateful for them. 

Final thought

FOMO is beatable, especially when you realise that most of what is on the media is simply face. People post fake lives to give the illusion that they have it better than others while in real life, they are just living normally, just like you. Avoid spending all time envying the illusion on all the cleverly crafted pictures of perfect life on social media because, in the long run, the only thing you will be missing out on is your own life. 

Remember, Mayfair cares