Dear Margot: How do I deal with FOMO?

Dear Reader, the fear of missing out, or FOMO, is an incredibly common experience. Sometimes it can feel like everyone else is having a better time, making closer connections, or finding more success than we are. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these feelings and have a healthier mindset. Something to remember is that social media can often make these feelings seem more heavy. People showing their seemingly great lives can be a constant reminder, but social media doesn’t always show the whole story. Comparing your everyday life with what you see on social media isn’t healthy, and most people only show the positive aspects of their life on social media anyways. The constant fun trips, events, and other fun activities are what most people chose to post instead of the more realistic boring or stressful days. 

Another helpful strategy is to think about what really matters to you. Find out what you genuinely care about and who you want to surround yourself around. Ask yourself, “Do I enjoy spending time with these people? Do I really want to go to this place or do I just fear missing out?” By asking yourself these questions, it may be useful to decipher whether the people or the place actually matters to you or if it’s just that fear of missing out. 

Learning to enjoy staying home, taking a night to yourself, or even enjoying a hobby, can be valuable to your mental well-being. In the end, dealing with the fear of missing out sometimes means understanding that you get to choose what matters to you and surrounding yourself with the right people who won’t make you feel left out. 

Image Courtesy of VideoPlasty on Wikimedia Commons.