How FOMO can be turned into JOMO?

Are you one of those people who have to attend every social gathering they are invited to?
Do you feel that you will miss out on something great every time you say ‘no’ to a plan?
Do you have this uncontrollable urge to be around people all the time?
If the answers to the above questions is ‘yes’, then you my friend might be experiencing FOMO i.e. the Fear Of Missing Out. FOMO is the feeling of anxiety you get when you believe that other people are having more fun than you are. It is obviously not a good feeling and as a result of that you keep checking your phone to see what other people are doing. The fear actually overcomes your mind and often renders you unable to enjoy your own day.

One thing that has really pushed the concept of FOMO is social media. Since the advent of social media, everyone knows everything about everyone. There are people who are having fun and then there are people who feel anxious because they were left out. This is because research suggests that people are affected more by what they lose rather than being happy about what they have gained. Looking at pictures of people having fun can trigger FOMO but what hurts more is coming to know about a plan from a friend that you weren’t invited to. And this is the reason people value social media over their relationships.

CONSEQUENCES OF EXPERIENCING FOMO:

• A person experiencing such feelings is more likely to value social media over everything else.
• These people are lesser satisfied in life and might experience frequent changes in mood.
• You are constantly unhappy and there is chance that you might not enjoy things you once loved anymore.
• One of the major consequences of experiencing FOMO is deteriorating mental health. We repeatedly compare our lives with those of others and are dissatisfied with ours all the time.
• Some other effects of FOMO include- loneliness, anxiety, depression and increased levels of negativity.

HOW TO TURN FOMO INTO JOMO?

Hypothetically speaking, if there are 60% of the people who experience FOMO, there are 40% of the people who don’t. Such people know the feeling of JOMO i.e. Joy of Missing Out. If you think you can achieve this joy just by maintaining a distance from social media then you might be wrong. It does help but not entirely. In order to achieve JOMO you must first accept the feeling of the fear of missing out. The more you let the feeling in, the more you will realize how futile such feelings are and you will start moving away from that fear. It is easier said then done and it does take a lot of time but attaining that joy will make your life so much better and you will be at content.

In order to do so you must begin with saying ‘no’. Don’t be available all the time. Be mindful of the situations you want to associate yourself with. So, instead of crying over what you have lost, be grateful for the good things that are happening. Instead of checking your social media to see what people are doing, focus on yourself and what’s going on with you. Distract yourself from all kinds of negativity that push you towards the fear of missing out.

If you still feel the same after having tried out everything, you must reach out to a friend or a confidant and talk it out. Communication is the key to all your problems. It is finally time to declare a winner in this battle of FOMO against JOMO. Do your mental health a favor and choose joy over the fear.