I think I've been missing out on the crazy world of acronyms and slang because, along with not knowing what "What are thoooooooose?!!" means, I also had no idea what FOMO was. If you don't either, don't sweat it, don't let the fear of missing out get to you. We will settle FOMO's definition here and now.
FOMO, is an acronym for a phenomenon called Fear of Missing Out.
We all want to feel included, and more often than not we are upset by the thought of missing out on certain social events or news updates. Before, when social media did not exist, it wasn't that big of a deal to miss out on a party or a gathering. You'd hear about it once or twice and then never hear anything afterward. Today, however, because of our enormous involvement on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others, we become acutely aware of exactly what we are missing out on. So many of us have developed a sad and painful complex around missing out on ideas, news, and events that others attend. So much so that, at times, because of missing out on other events and watching friends and family enjoy those with envy, we are unable to enjoy the moments they themselves are going through.
Wherever we go, we are constantly bombarded with picture after picture of others enjoying events that you wish you could join. I feel like this issue has become so big that too often we are glued to our phones to find information about the next big gathering so we don't miss out. FOMO may explain why so many of us are so attached to our devices and so detached from other people.
But FOMO is not a problem you should go through. Here are three ways we can kick FOMO's butt and enjoy the moments of our lives that we are living without the fear of missing out.
1. Enjoy The Moment!
Take your time and thoroughly enjoy the experiences and moments that you are going through rather than rushing through them. Enjoy the feel of the sand on the beach, really smell the flowers in your garden (or the park), take the beautiful sight of the sunset. Breathe it in. Slowly. Carefully. Store it in your memory.
2. Understand That You Can't Have Everything!
It's so hard to let go of some desires when needs come in the way. But understand that you only have a limited number of needs, but the horizon of desires expands on forever. Prioritize your activities and understand that sometimes it best to let go of other activities. Decide what you need and run after a few wants but don't get caught up with your wants, because if you have everything you need, you will be the luckiest person in the world.
3. Cultivate An Attitude of Gratitude!
Instead of running after dreams that we think will complete our lives, we should cultivate gratitude. This will shift our focus on thoroughly appreciating what we have rather than on what we don't or wish we did. FOMO is the fear of not having something you think you need. Gratitude helps us count our blessings and thoroughly enjoy the pleasures we have in our life.
