How to Deal with FOMO?

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What do you know about FOMO, or the Fear of Missing Out?

It is a Saturday morning, you are sitting in your living room having coffee and planning your day. You want to spend some time with your partner, work on your project, and catch up with your family over lunch in the afternoon.

You notice your WhatsApp groups going crazy, and it is only 9 am!

Your friends are sending pictures from yesterday’s party, and they are all talking about this amazing boat trip planned for today!

The pictures look so fun and you suddenly feel miserable.

Your Saturday perfect plan, just turned into a lame and boring plan!

You start thinking ‘I am working on the weekend, and missing out on all the fun’. You go back and check the pictures again. You suddenly find yourself on instagram checking all the stories form last night. 

Can you relate?

Don’t worry, you are not the only one.

FOMO is not a mental disorder, but it is a phenomenon that is significantly increasing and becoming more and more common.

It could lead to increase anxiety, distress and impulsive behaviors like excessively checking instagram, Facebook, TikTok and now Threads… 

This is not a new phenomenon though.

FOMO has been introduced almost two decades ago but today’s social media has accelerated it even more!

If you catch yourself thinking negatively or feeling down, remind yourself of your values:‘What is important to you at this moment?’, ‘What actions will make your future self thankful for?’.

I am not saying that you shouldn’t have fun or enjoy yourself, but at certain times we have to put our priorities above all other distractions, and that’s okay. Actually, that is essential for personal growth.

Now, let’s explore what triggers this FOMO and how we can deal with it.

  • Who do you follow? Check the pages, people and events that trigger this feeling. Unfollow them if they don’t add any value to your life.
  • What matters to you? Write a list of your goals and aspiration and keep it in hand to read it whenever you need a reminder of the choices you make. This is very important.
  • What are you grateful for today? Keep a journal of what you are grateful for. Focus on what you have, not what you lack. Studies show that gratitude journaling or simply telling others what you appreciate about them can lift your spirits as well as those of everyone around you!
  • Finally, why not take a digital detox? This is personally my favorite strategy. It is very healthy to disconnect from social media from time to time, and seek real connections with yourself and others around you. At the end of the day, the social media world could look perfect, but it isn’t. 

Take home message: 

Remember, not everything you see online is true. People share what they want you to see, and this isn’t necessarily real.

On another note, have you heard of JOMO, Or the Joy of Missing out? Let me know if the comments’ section! 😊

Yours truly,

Dana Berri

Kindness is not just a virtue, it's a way of life. 


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