How to Overcome Your Fear of Missing Out
5 Things That Will Help Deal With Feelings of Not Getting What You Want
The fear of missing out or FOMO, is a reality that affects many people and causes unneeded stress in their lives.
This has magnified in recent years with the popularity of social media platforms, which can often trigger unhealthy emotions.
What is Fear of Missing Out?
The fear of missing out refers to the perception you may have that you are not getting what you want, because others appear to have more fun or live better lives.
It’s a feeling you are losing out on something important that others have or are experiencing.
It often plays out when you compare what you are doing or what you have, to what others are doing or have.
How Does Fear of Missing Out Affect You?
The downside of having fear of missing out includes:
- Lower self-esteem and self-worth.
- Reduced self-confidence.
- Feeling unworthy or not good enough.
- Suffering anxiety or depression.
- Believing your life is not interesting.
- Constantly comparing yourself to others.
- Poor mental and emotional health.
- Feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
- Behaving out of character.
- Being more self-critical.
As you overcome your fear of missing out, you will experience life on your terms, without needing to focus on how others are living their lives.
5 Things You Can Do to Overcome Your Fear of Missing Out
Here are five things you can do to overcome your fear of missing out, so you can fully accept what you already have and enjoy the life you are living.
- Acknowledge your inadequacies. Everyone has weaknesses and strengths. There are things others do well, which means they will have unique experiences. You need not do everything others do or live the way they are.
- Question your beliefs when you feel you are missing out on something. When you feel you are missing out, ask yourself why that is the case. There are beliefs playing out, and frequently when you question them, they cease having power over you.
- Be grateful for what you already have, while holding onto your dreams. If you notice you are giving attention to what you are missing out on, shift your focus to what you have. This does not mean you downplay your dreams or what you want. It means appreciating what’s already good in your life.
- Allow yourself to be okay with not getting something. You don’t need to “have it all” to live a fulfilling or happy life. If you continue to believe you don’t have enough, you won’t enjoy what you have. Sometimes not getting what you want is often a blessing in disguise. Adopting mindfulness practices will help in letting go of feelings of missing out.
- Focus on the quality of experiences instead of status or symbol. It’s always important to come back to what matter most in your life. Creating lasting memories and quality experiences are more important portraying an image of someone you are not.
Final Thoughts
If you have FOMO or fear of missing out, it’s a sign you are living your life from the outside in. This means you are letting external factors control your mental and emotional states.
Even though everyone has the fear of missing out, the truth is, you are experiencing life as you need to right now. As you develop self-awareness, your experiences will change and you won’t have the belief you are missing out on things.
Action Step: Next time you catch yourself believing you are missing out on something, question whether it is true. Pay attention to your triggers so you can choose new thoughts and generate better responses.
Question: What are other things you can do to overcome your fear of missing out?
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