I will begin by talking about the number one reason that makes some people feel like they’re missing out. It is without any doubt the media worldwide. And nowadays it is social media.
Clearly, most of the ideas presented by the media are exaggerated and money-oriented. Many of us know this fact, but unfortunately, we don’t listen to our mind’s logic.
Not only the media but also those who surrender to these messages, people.
In my opinion, the media and those who follow it, people, lead other people to feel extremely dissatisfied and thus affecting their physical and mental health.
For those who don’t know exactly what does fear of missing out (FOMO) mean? It is when people are afraid to miss out on social events or experiences that they think others are having.
FOMO leads those who suffer from it to many mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, low self-esteem, loneliness, and feeling of inferiority.
According to psychology, people are risk-averse species, and they want to exploit every opportunity that comes their way.
And marketers work hard to understand customers’ psychology, including their motivation to buy or take an action.
They craft advertising messages that cleverly appeal to the customers after spending hours or even months collecting tons of information about their target audience.
By creating powerful messages that the customers will miss out on something, and of course, people don’t like to miss out, these messages create an urgency to buy.
For example, I have seen a message on a food delivery application that encourages customers to buy fast food with free delivery for 14 days, and the offer will end at a specific time.
Indeed, specifying a time with an attractive offer will motivate potential customers to buy on an immediate basis or soon.
In the end, this strategy benefits the overall sales and the profits of the marketers’ companies.
How does Social Media fuel FOMO?
Since many people are guilty of being addicted to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I will shed light on the most common behaviors that lead other people to feel FOMO.
1-Sharing of fun times:
Yes, people can act like testimonials without planning, but understand that marketers have invisible hands. They’re always looking for people who can give them positive reviews.
When your friends post about fun activities they had, don’t compare your friends’ highlight moments to your current moment of sitting at home doing nothing because it is unfair.
If you want to compare, start to learn to compare smarter and don’t let negative emotions drag you down. And remember that you have had beautiful days too.
2-Sharing of achievements:
Let’s talk seriously here. Don’t let others identify how you can be successful in life.
Success could be in getting an “A” grade at the university and could be without this high grade.
I believe success is not in having a lot of money and not in promotion in a job you don’t like or you find boring.
It is by doing things that you enjoy and make you happy.
The idea of watching what other people are doing and imitating them will not make you happy. Everyone is different.
Success is to achieve what you want based on your strengths and thoughts.
Listen to what your heart wishes to achieve in life.
You need to be proud of who you’re and to work on your gifts to feel strong and confident in life remember that.
Other tips to overcome FOMO
1-Do a part of your wish:
If you want something, but you don’t afford it or you fail at it. Then do it in portions. How do we do that?
I’ll give an example if you’re not good at driving a car, but you wish to drive, then take lessons in driving and go for the test. You’ll achieve a part of your wish by having the actual feeling of driving a car while you’re with the trainer.
Actually, the act of trying is a positive action that will make you feel happy and proud stepping out of your comfort zone.
Your feeling that you have tried will be present in your brain, and it will create positive chemicals there. And this positivity will take you far away from the negative feeling of FOMO.
In other words, your trials will create a positive touch in your mind and thus it will prevent FOMO.
2- Imagine yourself doing what you wish:
I don’t believe in astrology, but I read something that could be useful to you.
Pisces sign is in the space most of the time or even all the time because they’re daydreamers. They don’t take action to achieve their dreams because they have already achieved them in their brain. Did you notice? That is really powerful in the case of FOMO here.
When you’re afraid to miss out on some experiences, you can fly with your imagination and achieve many things.
Personal development coaches always advise us to imagine what we want to achieve because it enhances our problem-solving skills and confidence. Imagination can help you can find out solutions for FOMO while being confident to beat it creatively at the end.
3-Volunteer:
I believe people’s job when they face FOMO should be to increase the happiness hormone in their bodies. And the best way to do that is not in buying expensive things or in traveling. It is in giving to other people.
As discussed before, FOMO could lead to anxiety, depression, and loneliness
On the other hand, people who volunteer are happy because they’re around different people, visiting different places, and conquering different problems. They’re busy with a good cause that makes them forget any negative feelings like FOMO.
So, learn from these heroes’ behaviors to beat FOMO forever.
Final thoughts
Indeed, people can’t do everything at once. So, instead of worrying about missing some experiences, set and choose those experiences that align with your needs and dreams. Just focus on yourself when you choose them.
By doing so, you’ll become not only a productive person who avoids distractions smartly, but also you’ll become a person who makes a difference in your life and in others’ life.
You’ll start to like yourself more and to show your best self with a lot of real and valuable actions.
