We all suffer from Fear Of Missing Out sometimes.
Scroll through social media and it hits you – people are definitely living better lives, experiencing more adventures, having much more fun. Whether it’s a fantastic party, an exciting promotion at work, a romantic encounter, or the dream vacation of a lifetime, we get the fundamental sense that we’re missing out on something big. And that lowers our own life satisfaction.
Of course we all know that people just post highlights of their life reel. Some of the pictures are staged, others may be taken from past years, and still others may be complete fakes. Social media creates a platform for bragging; it’s where things, eve and even happiness itself is in competition. People are comparing their best, picture-perfect, sometimes phony experiences which may lead you to wonder what you’re lacking.
There are ways to combat FOMO:
- Shift your focus from public approval to private appreciation of the things that make your life great.
- Change your perspective from what you lack to what you have.
- Eliminate people who trigger your feelings of ‘less than’ and curate a more positive feed, full of positive people, humour, art and beauty to lift your mood on a daily basis.
- And don’t believe everything you see.
But what if you really are Missing Out? Ask yourself – are you really living up to your potential? Is there something more you’d like to do, to be? Can you make a change that will make a difference?
Take action. MO – Missing Out can become Moving On to the life you want. There’s an Irish expression – “Do something with your life and your life will do something with you.”
Isn’t it time?
