More Than Just FOMO
I’ve personally struggled with cancelling plans in the past. We’ve all heard of FOMO, but cancel anxiety is definitely a step up from this. What would make me most anxious was checking my phone throughout the night and seeing people’s Instagram stories. Although I’d bowed out of the occasion for a reason, I would worry that next time we were all together, I wouldn’t be part of the narrative and potential ‘private’ jokes from that evening. This would happen despite knowing that all of my friends are megababes and would never make me feel like this.
To combat this, I turn my phone onto silent or off completely and leave it in a different room to avoid constantly checking for updates and simply try to get on with my rest time.
How to Stop The Anxiety Effectively
#1 Be honest
I now overcome cancel anxiety by being honest with people if I can’t make it or feel that I should stay in. Message or call as soon as possible, rather than ignoring it. There’s nothing worse than your phone buzzing with someone trying to find out where you are. Something simple like: ‘Hey, I don’t feel great today, mind if we take a raincheck?’ will do the trick.
#2 Don’t check social media
