Ever seen a picture posted by your friend from Mykonos on Instagram and felt a twang of envy? Seen a delicious pizza on Facebook and felt jealous? That’s FOMO or fear of missing out. In fact, FOMO is when anxious or uncertain thoughts arise that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. It is a feeling of missing out on something enjoyable or fun that you would like to be a part of right now. In times of Covid-19, FOMO could be at an all-time high. This is because you may see what you’re doing during lockdown and compare it to others and feel like you’re not living the best possible life. For example, some of your friends may be free and relaxing while you are working from home everyday!
Here are 4 signs you might be suffering from FOMO!
You’re always on your phone. Whether that’s because you’re continuously texting someone to know what’s going on with friends. Or if you’re refreshing or scrolling through Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter all the time. If you have an endless need to stay updated about everyone’s lives and know what they are doing, it could be FOMO Stop refreshing Instagram and Twitter even if there’s nothing new to see and just put your phone aside for a while! If you want to make screen time more productive and connect with yourself, try Evolve.
You’re always uploading stories. You saw a dog on the street? Photo uploaded to Instagram. You ate a fancy meal? Snapchat needs to know. It’s started raining and you feel this need to upload it with a funny caption! It might be a sign of FOMO. It’s okay to upload stories and click photos of food that is exceptional or when you’re meeting friends after a while. But to take countless selfies and proper pictures of various ordinary objects just to upload them on social media, it is a clear sign of FOMO.
Instead, try practicing mindfulness. Try to be in the present and enjoy the moment and what’s happening around you. Be mindful of what you’re doing and truly enjoy it rather than worry about anything else. While you are stuck at home due to Covid-19, try using the Evolve app to practice daily mindfulness or try these activities to learn mindfulness in a simple way.
You hate staying home on a Friday night. If you need every Friday or Saturday night to be booked in and have to go out with friends, it’s probably a sign of FOMO. It is understandable to want to go out on a Friday night after work, but if there’s need to always have plans, be it movies, partying or a meal, you should sit down and reflect for a while.
You get anxious when you’re out of the loop. If you get anxious or feel a pit in your stomach if you don’t know what your friends are doing, it is a classic sign of FOMO. You want to be part of every plan and if you can’t make it, you need to know what is going on. It might even bother you when you’re unable to meet friends or miss an opportunity. In fact, you’ll feel anxious when you find out friends are having fun without you. Here are simple ways to reduce anxiety in a matter of minutes.
These are just some of the signs of FOMO. Head over to our test on “do you have FOMO?” and assess your situation. Remember, anxiety and anxious thoughts due to FOMO is normal and is not a reflection of you as a person. What matters is knowing how to overcome it and reducing anxiety as soon as you can.
Evolve helps you reduce anxiety with a variety of joyful guided audios and makes your day happier! Try our app today, you can download it here. The Evolve app is now live globally on Android & Apple, click here to try for free!