On Feeling “FOMO”
What is the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)? and, How Can You Make Better Decisions?
How do you feel about making decisions?
The process of decision-making dates back to childhood, and while we may not get all uncomfortable and fidgety while picking our ice cream flavor now, we may experience the same sensations whenever we need to make BIG decisions.
What is feeling FOMO?
What if I could be happier, more successful, and accomplished? Sounds familiar? No age is exempt from getting FOMO sometimes, and as long as we have goals, ambitions, and wants, we will be always tempted by other options; We may feel disciplined, but we are not immune.
When we are only starting out; however, the fear of missing out can be especially intense. It may present itself as a sense of frustration, helplessness, loss, and derailment over our direction, and at instances where we need to make decisions, this feeling can amplify into anxiety. So how do we make decisions when we’re ‘FOMO’?
We don’t.
How to make Better Decisions:
- Revisit your purpose: Our minds are wired to avoid pain and seek pleasure, and committing to your purpose is not always the easiest way to go about life. In fact, it is hardly ever easy. A practical tip would be to make your priorities list reflect your purpose as an individual, and if you’re still too afraid to “miss out”, make a list to reassure yourself with what matters to you most.
- Express how you feel: I think what is most challenging about BIG decisions is that they have momentum; Time is of real essence; take all the time you need to process your feelings. A practical tip here is to journal. A few questions to consider while journaling when making decisions are: How do you feel right now? How do you want to feel? What do you need to do to feel it?
- There is no “easy” way out: Do you base your decisions on what is “easier”? Taking shortcuts is the second challenge about BIG decisions. Shortcuts can be extremely disorienting because they alleviate the process of decision-making, and they might seem like the right choice to make right now. But what about what you want? and most importantly, do you really want to base your BIG decision on fear?
“Life is not here to make you happy; life is here to wake you up”, Eckhart Tolle.
Thank you,
