FOMO No More

What is FOMO?

Have you ever felt left out or fearful that somehow you’re missing out on something important online or on social media? Brunch, a party, sleepover, or any event that you weren’t a part of? If you said yes, then you’ve probably experienced something called FOMO or “Fear Of Missing Out”. Social media has heightened FOMO to extraordinary measures as the rise of social media continues. The PLOS One Organization has published an extensive article, covering FOMO with many resources and surveys from varying sources on the topic. FOMO may seem like a moment that can ruin your night but it extends past that. The authors; Ceren Hayran, Lalin Anik, and Zeynep Gürhan-Canli have written that “Specifically, we show that FOMO decreases one’s intentions to repeat a current experience and may also negatively influence the valuation of the current experience, which may pose a threat to loyalty.” FOMO actually affects how we act in the future depending on when and where we’ve experienced the feeling. Maybe you were hanging out at the library for some late-night studying and saw some friends out for dinner on Instagram; if you experience FOMO then, you’d be less likely to go back to that library or even study to avoid feeling FOMO again. FOMO can interfere with our emotions and even our decision-making. Now, there’s a solution. Actually, it’s an extremely simple solution. It’s JOMO

Replacing FOMO with JOMO

You may be asking “What is JOMO?” JOMO is an acronym for “Joy Of Missing Out” which has become, arguably, the best way to combat FOMO. JOMO involves simple steps that can be incorporated to help battle the dreaded feeling of being isolated or left out. FOMO stems from the fear that we are missing out on something or just feel left out. To effectively practice JOMO we must change our perspective on being home or away from social events. Take the fact that you are not around friends or out somewhere and utilize the time to focus on yourself instead. The first step is to turn off your social media. Even for a designated amount of time like after 8 PM. This ensures that you won’t be tracking social media to see a friend out for dinner or some party you weren’t invited to. Next, think about something you’ve been wanting to do but may not have had the time for. Want to watch your favorite show for the sixteenth time? Go ahead! Now’s the time. Want to practice some needed self-care? Here’s a mini list of current Gen Z cult favorites and a couple of personal faves!

There are more ways than to just spend time for yourself. Learn to eliminate the fear of missing out instead! Practice being able to say “no” when you’re asked to go out and you don’t want to. Many times we can feel pressured to go out and force ourselves to go out to avoid disappointing someone or to avoid the feeling of missing out. However, that can be toxic to our health, compromising what we feel and what we want to do to please someone else can be draining. Change your perspective. Being home isn’t a bad thing, especially when you can take advantage of that time to relax and focus on YOU.