The feeling of FOMO, or fear of missing out, is an anxiety that many people suffer from. Typically when you feel this way, you are worried about the opportunities that are passing you by because you aren't doing anything with your time. This can lead to a lot of stress and even depression. 

**However, there are ways to deal with it so that it doesn't get worse.**

*Research shows that a fear of missing out can stem from unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life and that these feelings can propel us into greater social media usage.*

In turn, greater engagement with social media can make us feel worse about ourselves and our lives. In this way, it helps to know that our attempts to alleviate feelings of FOMO by engaging more on Facebook or Instagram can actually lead us down a rabbit hole into feeling even less self-accepting than before! It's important then develop strategies for dealing with the problem in order not to experience those same negative emotions over time.

**1. Change your focus.** 

When you're feeling down or uninspired, try a little mind shift. Rather than focusing on what we lack, let's notice the many things that are already in our lives to be grateful for! It may not feel like it at first when your social media feed is full of people who have more time and money than us bragging about their latest vacations--but with some effort, anyone can make changes to get back into the groove. Add positive friends; block out those others less supportive (or worse: negative). Ignore them by scrolling past before they start making you feel worse instead of better!

**2. Keep a Journal**

It is common to post on social media to keep a record of the fun things you do. However, you may find yourself noticing a little too much about whether people are validating your experiences online. If this is the case, you may want to take some of your photos and memories offline and keep a personal journal of your best memories, either online or on paper.

Keeping a journal can help us move away from our focus on public approval into a private appreciation for what makes life great; which may, in turn, get out of cycles like social media.

**3. Seek Out Real Connections.**

When we feel lonely or excluded, our brain is trying to tell us that it needs more connections with people and a greater sense of belonging at its core. It is actually healthy to seek out more connections with others and increase our sense of belonging. It may sound like the ultimate catch-22 but in reality, this human need has been around for centuries before there were even people on Earth!

Making plans with a good friend, creating a group outing, or doing anything social that gets you out with friends can be a nice change of pace. It puts the focus on what matters most to you and makes it feel like your life has some forward momentum again.

**4. Focus on Gratitude** 

Take some time out of your day and pick a person or thing in which you find gratitude, then write it down on paper. Afterward, take the list that you wrote them down on and go around telling people what they are thankful for about these things! It's amazing how much this can bring up happiness within an individual as well as those who were told by someone else what is great about their life too!

**It's normal to experience FOMO, but we should take actions to deal with it**.

If any of these tactics sound helpful but still feel overwhelming, reach out for help! I'd love to chat with you one-on-one and see how we can get you back on track so that you don’t let FOMO dictate where your time goes. Just text me and I would be more than happy to schedule a call with you (it's free).

Have any strategies helped relieve your own feelings of FOMO?