The fear of missing out isn’t always a bad thing. If you’re paying more attention to your Facebook feed than your family, though, it can drag you down. When you feel the FOMO setting in, try adjusting the focus ring on your happiness.
Photo by Felix M.
As tips site Barking Up the Wrong Tree points out, getting dragged into a FOMO cycle often says more about our own motivations than the thing we fear missing out on. If you’re happy with your current life, you don’t care as much that someone else is doing something cool. If you have something in your life that genuinely makes you happy, but you’ve lost sight of it, FOMO can be a tool to help you realise you need to refocus:
Facebook isn’t real life. It’s obviously not life. And it’s certainly not real. Only real life is real life. But you’re comparing yourself to fake life. (Someone cue the music from “The Matrix”, please.) And the key to happiness really comes down to one word: Attention.
We all have bad things we could think about. But they don’t bother us when we pay them no mind. “Look on the bright side” is a cliche, but it’s also scientifically valid.
If you can’t find something in your life to refocus on, then maybe that FOMO should be a motivator that you need to go out and find it! Or maybe it’s an indicator that your priorities are a little mixed up. Either way, FOMO can be a great diagnostic tool for your own happiness. Just don’t assume that reaching the grass on the other side is the only thing that will make you happy.
FOMO: This Is The Best Way To Overcome Fear Of Missing Out [Barking Up the Wrong Tree]
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