FOMO: Sunday Update #4

I’m currently sitting in bed with about 3 blankets on top of me and my electric blanket on because HOLY CRAP it is flipping cold. Therefore I thought I’d write a Sunday Update. For today’s topic I thought I would touch on something which I have so much trouble with.


FOMO

The Fear Of Missing Out

The first time I heard of FOMO was on Keeping Up With The Kardashians would you believe. I think it was Scott asking Kourtney “don’t you get FOMO?” When he explained that it’s the fear of missing out, it got me thinking. I have serious issues with being scared that I’ll miss out on things. Practically everything makes me scared that I’ll miss out on some of the best memories you could’ve had.

I’m personally so attached to social media that it’s one of those things where I know that it’s bad but I can’t help it... this means that I can’t help but see what people are up to. I know that a lot of the time FOMO gets you pressured into doing things you don’t actually want to do - for example Sally invites you and Susie to a party. You don’t really want to go but you don’t want Sally and Susie to have a ball without you so you go. This has been my case for multiple times where I feel the need to go to something because I don’t want to miss out on the fun. 

I know that I am no therapist or psychiatrist or whatever but I think that the only way to resolve FOMO is to accept. Accept the fact that you will miss out on things because you will also have so many more opportunities. Believe me, I know that it’s easier said than done but if you keep telling yourself that you won’t let it bother you, you’ll gradually train yourself to not let silly things like this ruin your day. I always like telling myself “it’s ok” and I even have a little banner up in my room with this saying to remind myself. It’s ok that you didn’t go and it’s ok that they had fun even though you weren’t there.

For me, I think i have gotten much better. It used to bother me so much that it’d ruin my day which is VERY silly. I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about how much fun they had. Now I just choose to let it go and not let it bother me as much. Obviously being me who overthinks everything I still have a long way to go but resolving mental worries doesn’t just happen overnight.

I’m going to end this post with a favourite quote of mine,

“wherever you are, be all there.”

 It’s saying to not think about what other people are doing, or if Sally and Susie are together without you, because all you need to think of is what YOU are doing at this point in time.

Hannah xx