Many of us want to go to every margarita night with our best friends, Sunday brunch and still wake up for those 8am classes or meetings looking like we slept a full 12 hours on just 6, but we just can’t maintain all of that! Self-care and health are top priorities however, and with FOMO, those are unattainable. FOMO stands for, ‘the fear of missing out’. We are afraid of missing out on good memories, nights out, and all of the other fun events in life.
There was a time not too long ago where I had three jobs, was a full time student and went out every night because I didn’t want to miss out on seeing my friends and making those memories with them. The problem? I wasn’t able to fully be myself because of the exhaustion and lack of clarity in my brain. The solution? By cutting down on some social events, the ones I did attend became even more memorable.
Now I know, this is way easier said than done. Here are a few steps that you can take to get rid of that fear of missing out and truly utilize those nights out, as well as enjoy the nights in!
1. Work on saying ‘No’
No one wants to say no to their friends who ask them to go out, even if you know better. After all, FOMO is all about not wanting to close those doors and take time to yourself. This is the most difficult of the steps to accomplish, but with that one little word, you are opening yourself up to a world of possibility and rejuvenating that you could be doing! When you are able to say no, then you give yourself the power to give a more meaningful yes that will reward you much greater in the end.
2. Remember that through the social media scrolling, Instagram is not an accurate depiction of people’s lives.
Not everyone is actually going out all the time and living this glamorous life, and if they are then they’re going to be burnt out soon enough. In order to truly break the cycle of FOMO, we need to stop giving social media so much attention and weight. You determine your own happiness and this stems from where you give your attention.
3. Divert your attention from social media to yourself.
Instead of getting home from work, kicking off your shoes and scrolling through Instagram or looking through Snapchat stories, put your phone down and take a deep breath. Do something right after work or school that makes you happy. Whether that is drinking a glass of wine with your significant other, watching an episode of Netflix, or reading a book, take that time to do something that you enjoy and you won’t worry about missing out because in reality; others are missing out on that relaxation time.
4. Think of all of the things you have to be grateful for.
It has been shown that gratitude can lead to happiness. Instead of focusing energy on what you feel you are missing out on, spend that energy on being thankful for what you have done and accomplished. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what you were doing as long as you are doing something that made you happy. Instead of spreading yourself too thin and not being able to enjoy all the going out you’re doing, take a step back and focus on your mental health and self-care time so that when you do go out, it isn’t being taken for granted.
Remember through your fight to not fear missing out, to always think of your future and what will benefit you best.
There will always be more karaoke nights and parties to go to!
