Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): What is it (and How to Deal With it)

fear of missing out

Last updated on September 26th, 2023 at 01:01 pm

What is it?

FOMO or fear of missing out is a syndrome we all face at some point in our life.

FOMO- the word has been added to Oxford English Dictionary in 2013.

It is the psychological state of mind where one feels like he is missing out on something in life.

Other people are enjoying, having more fun, and having more out of life than him.

This increases jealousy, low self-esteem, lack of life satisfaction.

An extreme level of this negative emotion may cause anxiety, depression, and unhappiness.

FOMO refers to the sense where one thinks that there might be better things he could do at the moment and he is missing out on something so important, unlike others.

It can be anything from a small party to a big tour or having something material, have more friends, doing better in work and so on.

FOMO is the ultimate dissatisfaction that does not let you live life peacefully at the present moment.

Evidence of FOMO is found in ancient texts.

But Researches have been done on it during the past few decades.

Fear of missing out was coined out as a term first by marketing strategist Dan Herman in 1996.

How Does it Feel?

fear of missing out. sorrow face. www.blisslife.in

The emotions of FOMO are hard to describe.

It is a weird combination of exhaustion, boredom, frustration, anxiety, envy, and restlessness.

The strange but empty feeling ruins the mood.

People start comparing their life with others.

They find things and situations better than others are into than that of their own.

With today’s excessive usage of social media sites like Facebook, Instagram fear of missing out is an increasingly common problem in people.

Platforms where people often flaunt every little thing about them are majorly responsible for unnecessary competition among people.

As if it is so important to show off how good they are doing in life!

The psychology behind Fear of missing out is gaining attention because of its power over mental health.

Who Gets FOMO?

Researchers are yet to explore FOMO.

It can be experienced by people of any age, race, and gender.

But Smartphone users are most likely to face the fear of missing out than others.

There are some effective methods to mitigate the effects.

To combat the fear of missing out, a complete change in your perception is necessary.

When it comes to mental issues, most of the problems occur due to the mindset.

How we take things and how we see life determines the thought process.

Let’s discuss how to control it.

Control Social Media Usage:

fear of missing out. girl with phone. surfing net. cup. tea. www.blisslife.in

FOMO makes people check their social media accounts right after they wake up, before sleeping, and often somewhere in between.

It is often when they don’t really feel good and open the social site to escape boredom.

But the problem is that it only makes you feel worse.

Social platforms are of great usage these days.

It helps stay connected to people across the globe.

But slowly and silently it provokes comparisons as well.

FOMO is more likely to occur among young people like teenagers, college-goers, and people of any age with less maturity.

There are always options to control what you want to see in your timeline.

Control the news feeds.

Focus on meaningful matters than people’s life.

While social media is vastly blamed for fueling FOMO, it also can be used as a source of inspiration.

All you have to do is to follow better messages and thoughts than particular people.

Avoid things that are more illusionary than practical.

Be More Mindful of Important Human Relations:

fear of missing out . love draw. www.blisslife.in

Life is very fast these days.

People often engage in unnecessary competitions.

Try to take one thing at a time.

Take your time while doing things.

Have a clear idea and intention of what you are doing!

Slow down and engage yourself fully with the task at hand.

Lend your hands to those who seek one.

Take help if you need it yourself.

It is always better to meet your friends and close ones in person.

The connections feel real. Have a fun time.

Talk about good things.

Share constructive ideas.

Share the positive vibe.

It’s never the competition but the togetherness that matters.

Being there for others will always give a sense of satisfaction.

The sense of belonging to society is far more important and precious than unrealistic competition.

Cherish What You Have:

Cultivate the attitude of gratitude.

This helps to combat the tendency of comparisons.

Accept that one can hardly have it all together.

But what you have is sufficient.

Count your blessings in every little thing.

The idea of if you have this, you will be happy is not right.

We should be happy anyway.

Having or not having something does not determine the state of our mental health.

It is the practice of appreciation for what is already there on your plate!

FOMO is the feeling that provokes you to brood over not having something you consider necessary.

Well-being lies in thankfulness, not in chasing a desire.

Have desires but do not chase them.

Refine Perception:

Fear of missing out. beautiful woman. www.blisslife.in

Some things are truly important and some things are just desirable.

Learn to eliminate things that do not contribute to the enrichment of your life.

At a point in life, we must learn to say no to some things.

This helps to devote time to experiences that would be countable.

It is always quality over quantity. Nullify the idea of the more the better.

Mind Over Matter:

There are people we admire and sometimes envy.

The Grass seems greener on the other side.

However, admiring and following is good but not restlessly.

We must not fail to recognize the opportunity present in our own lives.

Utilize chances to have the first-hand experience of adventures, fun, helping the underdogs, cherish a real connection, anything that is more natural.

Connecting to nature is also a good step.

Temporary feelings are like visitors.

Let them come and go.

Hold on to only what truly matters.

Happiness is a choice.

Make sure that this state of mind will not be shattered with a random thing of the outer world.

Shift Your Focus:

Fear of missing out. bull's eye. target. focus. concentration. www.blisslife.in

Fear of missing out occurs when you focus on what you do not have.

Hence shifting the focus will help.

Change your news feed.

Control what you would like to see.

There are numerous mindful matters available across the internet.

Videos and articles that teach really good lessons about life.

Find those through google.

Those can be true eye-openers to better your understanding of life.

Nurture a private appreciation over public approval.

Shift your focus on valuable things and matters related to real life.

What has been displayed on social sites may not be as glittering as it seems.

Write a Journal:

Be kind to yourself.

Even if people around you are multi-tasking, you need not.

Live your life your own way.

Comparison only makes it worse.

Go out and meet people.

Attain a friendly gathering or trip to a nearby place.

This will help you socialize better.

Meeting people in person is better than comparing their social media status with your own.

Also having a good conversation, kind behavior, exchanging ideas and experience reduce the mental stress of lagging.

Maintain a journal about what you are up to.

Write down the good things you experience shortly.

Reading it in your free time will remind you that there are things to be thankful for.

Nurture Your Hobby:

Fear of Missing Out. weaving. crafting. hobby. woman. www.blisslife.in

Pursuing your hobby can be a great escape from the fear of missing out.

Find time for what you love to do.

Be it singing, dancing, painting.

Do any activity that nurtures your soul.

Creating a piece of art or writing fulfills the emptiness within.

Gardening, taking care of the pet also give great pleasure.

This will make a good work-life balance.

If you love social work, go out and seek those who seek help.

The greatest joy lies in giving.

Doing good for others brings a feel-good factor in ourselves.

Change Habits:

Fear of missing out is a result of your thought process and habits.

Habits that include unhealthy thinking and unhealthy pattern of doing things.

This must be changed.

Remove the habits that contribute to increased stress only.

Mindful meditation is the key to many emotional issues.

You need not be very spiritual.

Just attain meditation with full concentration.

Do some yoga and exercise.

These healthy habits bring joy to everything that you do.

Eating the right food is no less important.

Both our mental and physical health development depends a lot on it.

Create Your Happiness:

Fear of Missing Out. women. woman in relax mood. relax. mindfulness. happy. www.blisslife.in

Create your own happiness.

Find the feel-good factor that you have been missing out on.

Seek it in little things.

As little as revisiting old good memories of vacation photos.

Do not stay alone unless it is necessary.

Talk to your close ones in the family.

You are lucky if you share a friendly bond with your family members.

Otherwise, make friends wisely.

They can be little in number but people with real values.

Wise and mature friendships go long way.

They even motivate us to do better things in life.

In a healthy company, you are less likely to feel the fear of missing out.

This point is particularly important as the quality of the company influence the quality of our thought.

Choose your kind of people.

Friends who do not indulge in invisible competition but lift each other up are countable only.

Invest in What Matters:

Fear of Missing Out. smiley. emotions. www.blisslife.in

Lastly, invest in what you value.

Who can have it all at a time after all?

We must prioritize matters.

Develop a better understanding.

Spend some time in nature.

Preferably in the morning.

Go for a morning or evening walk.

Nature, the greenery around have bliss within.

Finding a good work-life balance is so important.

No matter what, never lower your self-esteem.

A person has to be contented with himself.

It is the joy within first than in the outer world that we connect to.

JOMO is the opposite term of FOMO.

The full form is the joy of missing out.

The term is created by entrepreneur Anil Dash.

Many incidents are happening in the world at a given moment.

It is completely okay to be not present everywhere.

Nor it is possible.

Instead of worrying about the missed out staff, embrace the decision to stick to what is best for you.

Practice joy of missing out.

Remind yourself why you chose the first place.

JOMO will dominate FOMO.

Conclusion:

There is hardly any problem that does not have a solution.

FOMO or fear of missing out is no exception.

One can seek professional help if necessary.

However, most of the time psychological issues like this can be solved with a conscious effort and some changes.

We dearly hope our suggestions uplift your understanding of the fear of missing out and how to overcome it.

If you find this article useful, share it with your friends.

Let us know what do you think of this article on fear of missing out (FOMO) what is it (and how to deal With it) by a quick comment below.

 


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About the Author: Bhaswati Saha

Bhaswati is a Creative Content Writer at Amazing Electronics. She is an excellent singer as well. She loves to read, write, and learn new things in her leisure time. Follow her on Instagram @bhaswastik

23 Comments

  1. FOMO can become serious if not recognized at early stages. During pandemic, it quite obvious to experience FOMO. I am very concerned about the young generation. As you have also mentioned about social media, it make them feel left out when they see their peers picture perfect posts. ut giving in present, engaging ourselves in something productive can help to control such thoughts.

  2. I personally think, one should not compare their present condition with others. Each one of us faces a different situation in life and we are moulded accordingly. One should try to better their physical and emotional state as much one can if one is not satisfied with it. But this urge should not come by comparing oneself to others. Thereby, the person can rid of FOMO.

  3. Great content and great writing really appreciate the research you do before coming out with those wonderful articles

  4. oh yes. fear of missing out is for real and I feel anxious some times too. These are some helpful pointers which i am going to follow

  5. Very nice 😊This is a great article to spend more awareness on this. Thank you so much for sharing😊

  6. I believe that it can be addressed with few right practices. With social media penetrating into the lives of many, this is commonly experienced among you generation. Thank you talking about this. Good one.

  7. This is a great article to spread more awareness on this. Thank you so much for sharing and informing this😊😊😊

  8. FOMO is such an anxious feeling you get when you feel other people might be having a good time without you. Learned a lot from reading this content. Great thoughts.

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