Have you ever gone out with your friends after a long work day when you really just wanted to lounge around in your pyjamas with an entire pizza to yourself? Us too. The familiar feeling has a name: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).
This anxiety is a lot more common than you might think. People all over the world are rapidly becoming affected, according to MyLife.com. A survey found that nearly 56% of social media users on all platforms are struggling to find a balance in their social and personal lives. We all need a little help learning how to say “no” in order to take care of ourselves.
Here are some ways to manage your FOMO.
Go for experience over social status
We often do things because of the social status surrounding it and not because we really want to. We give into peer pressure and listen to what other people think, prioritizing what they want over what we need. If you start saying “no” every once in a while, you’ll find yourself genuinely excited to go out and do things rather than dreading it and feeding into our anxieties. Though it is not as simple as it sounds, try asking yourself if this is something that will make you happy or if you will regret it before you RSVP to your plans.
Learn to cope with disappointment
FOMO stems from the anxiety of worrying what people think. We are worried what people will think if we stay in and miss an event. We are worried that people will make memories that we otherwise cannot be a part of. A huge step to leaving FOMO in the past is learning to deal with that feeling of disappointment when our friends are out having fun, understanding in our minds that there will be other memories to be made.
Prioritize your relationships
You know what they say about relationships: quality over quantity. It’s true. If we have an endless amount of people that we are trying to keep in contact with, it becomes overwhelming. In the heat of it all, we sometimes forget that we are only one person and can’t possibly be expected to do more than just be who we are. When it comes to relationships, whether it be friendships or romantic, it is critical that we give our time to those who deserve it and not stress over how many or how little people we have in our social circle.
Focus on the moment
How often do we go out to a restaurant and see and entire family sitting at their table consumed in their electronics? Too many. The world is full of tempting distractions that, with a bit of guidance, we can learn to manage. When you go out and see a pretty view, take a moment to really look at it before you reach for your phone. Try to teach your mind to instinctively enjoy what’s happening in the moment. Don’t worry about what other people will think, focus on how much being in the present will benefit you.
Follow your instincts
Our hearts rarely lead us in the wrong direction because they know what truly makes us happy. If your mind is telling you to stay home with your family or to get to sleep early because you have a big day at work, listen to it. Think of what you have because the grass is not always greener on the other side.
Take a break
It seems as though the most common cure to any social media related problem is to simply shut it down. Sometimes that’s not the easiest solution. However, if we allot time to take breaks, we will reap the small benefits that with time and persistence can turn into large ones. Make time for an Instagram-free day where you can’t see what anyone else is doing. Focus on yourself for a few hours.
Declutter your life
There’s never a bad time to do some spring cleaning when it comes to toxins in your life. Looping back to negative relationships, it is always good to be mindful of who is a positive influence in your life and who is not. If you want to make a change, you first need to pinpoint the damaged areas of your life and begin to repair them. Take a look at not only the people in your life, but your habits, health, and overall lifestyle. We are the most calm when we have everything under control. And although we cannot always predict everything, we can do our best to micromanage it and, in turn, choose who and what has a positive impact on us.