Birthday parties, bachelorette parties, baby showers, weddings: the list can go on and on. There’s always a Facebook event invite waiting for you. How do you do it all? More so, how do you pay for doing it all?
FOMO (fear of missing out) is the modern day social media phenomenon of the grass is greener on the other side with a shot of keeping up with the Jones’. On any given day you can find at least one of your friends on a huge international trip or announcing their dream engagement proposal. It constantly seems like everyone is doing something cooler than you.
You may have a mound of student loans weighing you down, but don’t want to miss out on a bachelorette get away weekend. Or even a friend invites you out to eat when you intended on dining in to pay down your credit card. After all, you only live once, right?
Do you have FOMO? You can find out on ratemyfomo.com.
Here’s two tips on how to get over your FOMO
1. Say no
Shake that bad habit of making decisions based off solely not wanting to miss out. If there’s an event that won’t work for you financially, or you feel social pressure to attend, but it conflicts with your schedule say no.
Learn the true power of saying no. There are limited hours in a day and dollars in the bank. Time and money are finite resources. There’s no way you can do everything and please everyone. Plus it’s impossible to please everyone because everyone has different tastes and conflicting opinions. You have to do what feels right to you and not what would make a cool Facebook status and photo opt.
If your friends are booking a week-long trip and you have no money: don’t go!
When you say no, you are saying yes to something else that is a priority to you.
There’s initially guilt when saying no to events. First, you’ll feel extremely guilty. Then you’ll feel a sign of relief of staying true to yourself and knowing your limits.
2. Replace your FOMO with JOMO
JOMO is the joy of missing out. Have joy with what is going on in your life even if an acquaintance from high school that you really didn’t even know (and even care for) is currently skiing down the Appalachian Mountains. Have joy staying in while you do your thing whatever it may be.
That’s how to get over your FOMO. Start saying no and have joy in relentlessly being true to yourself. Live your life free from envy, jealous, and guilt.
