What Does FOMO Mean? How To Deal With FOMO?

What does FOMO mean? How do you deal with FOMO? Let’s try and understand by a simple example. It’s getting late, but you can’t sleep. To relax you start scrolling through your Instagram or Facebook feed. You see pictures of a fancy dinner your friends had at some really cool place. And then a video someone took of a pretty sunset at the beach. 

You see this and you start to feel more and more restless. It’s strange, but you feel like you’re left out. Suddenly, you don’t like yourself anymore and want what they have. This is FOMO, the abbreviation for the fear of missing out, which is a common feeling related to social media. And you’re not alone in this. Many people are feeling empty and strange lately. 

Table Of Contents

Why Do We Experience FOMO? The Psychology Behind FOMO

How people perceive the world, and the things they believe they are missing out on, shape their fear. Most people spend about 2 and a half hours per day on social media. Nowadays, we are more conscious of what other people are doing. People share pictures and posts of every party, vacation, and meal out for everyone to see.

Some people may feel this condition, which means fear of missing out when they see a lot of documentation. The fear of missing out can affect your mental and physical health condition. Social media is not the only reason for this. People have always wanted to fit in and belong, even before the Internet existed.

Regular smartphone and social media use leads to lower self-esteem and greater emotional instability. This is common among young people who feel added pressure to always be available. Their fear may worsen by the constant stream of notifications they receive.

Who Is Most Affected By FOMO

Young people are much more vulnerable because they spend more time online. They are more sensitive and need social support to feel like they belong. 

However, the fear of missing out is not limited to the young. People who use social media regularly are more likely to feel like they’re losing out than those who don’t. This is because social media is strongly linked to this feeling. Seeing the ‘highlight reels’ of other people’s lives on social media can give us a case of missing out. People who care a lot about other people might be more into social media and experience it.

People who struggle with social anxiety are at an increased risk. This is because they are more inclined to stay home alone and use online platforms to make friends.

Symptoms Of FOMO 

There isn’t yet a tool to diagnose this strange condition. But it’s possible to recognize the symptoms which include:

• Constantly looking at one’s social media feeds to see what everyone else is up to
• feeling down about oneself because of how one’s life looks in comparison to others online
• I’ve reached my mental limit on social media.
• Taking on too much (or trying to do too much at once)
• Avoiding social interaction 
• Tiredness Sadness Anxiety Depression
• Concentration issues
• Irregular sleep patterns

Causes Of FOMO

There are other causes of the “fear of missing out” besides social media. Let’s understand it with this excellent example. Suppose you receive an invitation to a party over the weekend. You go despite not wanting to do so. Because you don’t want to feel left out when your friends discuss it on Monday. People have always had FOMO, but social media makes it more prevalent. Anything that makes someone feel left out may cause them to experience this. However, there are additional triggers, including:

• Having no idea what everyone else is referring to when they laugh
• Being left off a roster
• Being left out of a guest list
• The disappointment of missing a sale at a favorite store.

What Is FOMO In Cryptocurrency Investing

The cryptocurrency market is known for erratic and sometimes irrational trading choices. And the term “FOMO” is getting popular in the community. Cryptocurrency FOMO occurs when someone trades or buys a cryptocurrency after hearing rumors. People’s fear of losing out on the Bitcoin market makes them buy or sell at irrationally high or low prices. Fear of missing out on cryptocurrency can cause more problems than just cash loss. It can lead to isolation from loved ones, stress, and even mental health problems.

Suppose an individual suffers a significant financial loss due to a poor investment. This can negatively impact their mental health. There may be problems in their relationships with others. There may be problems within their families. There may be problems in other parts of their lives. Without special attention, the individual’s social functioning declines and they eventually become dysfunctional.

Symptoms Of Crypto FOMO

Recognizing the symptoms of Crypto FOMO is just as crucial as learning about its origins. Some signs that the fear of missing out acts as a motivator are as follows:

• The number of people who want to buy a cryptocurrency after hearing about it has skyrocketed. 
• A motivation to trade or invest in a crypto asset is only due to its recent surge in popularity.
• Always thinking about the potential profits from a trade.
• An unhealthy preoccupation with cryptocurrency-related social media.
• This is how greed can cause people to act recklessly and make quick, impulsive decisions.

How To Deal With FOMO (The Fear Of Missing Out)

Here is some expert advice for overcoming the fear of missing out:

It is the age of social media. Remember that other people’s lives aren’t as interesting or perfect as they may seem. Keep in mind that people don’t talk about boring things like working on a computer or doing housework. Not everyone has nonstop action and adventure in their lives.

Spend your time wisely. Concentrate your energy on fulfilling relationships and activities. If you’re happy with how you’re spending your time, you won’t worry as much about how other people spend theirs.

Realize what sets you off: If you’re experiencing the fear of losing out, it can assist to identify its source. Much like any behavioral addiction, it is important to understand and cut triggers. Is your phone the source of your fear of missing out? Keep it in a different room until you absolutely need to use it. Spend less time with those who are consistently the source of your fear of missing out.

Excessive social media use is this fear-inducing behavior. You can change with the help of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Your therapist will look at your feelings, thoughts, and actions to help you get back on track. 

The main goal of treatment should not be total silence. It should rather be learning to control yourself.  Think carefully about how much time you spend on social media. If you find that following certain accounts or using certain apps brings you down, it may be time to cut ties.

Deal With FOMO – The Details

Learn how to deal with your fear of missing out with these steps:

Shift Your Focus

Try shifting your attention from what you don’t have to what you do. On social media, where we are constantly being shown images of goods we do not have. This is easier said than done, but it is possible. Increase the number of upbeat posts in your feed. And reduce the visibility of boastful or unsupportive users.

You can adjust your feed so that you see less of what makes you feel left out and more of what makes you happy. Determine what about your internet experience is making you unhappy. Reduce these as much as possible while increasing the positive things in your feed (and life).

Go For A Digital Detox

Spending too much time on one’s phone or social media apps may worsen the fear of missing out. You might find it easier to stop comparing your life to others if you limit or stop using digital devices. 

Can’t stop using all digital devices? Cutting back on social media apps that make you feel alone might help. If the apps often make you feel bad, you could temporarily delete them. You could also spend less time on them each day. Another option is to get rid of some of your friends who use them.

Maintain A Journal

Social media posts are a typical way to document exciting life events. It is possible that you will worry too much. You may worry about whether other people online share your experiences. If this is the case, it can be helpful to keep a private journal of your favorite events, either digitally or on paper.

Make Real Connections

It’s natural to want to reach out to others when you’re feeling down or anxious. We may feel alone or rejected. It’s because our brains are trying to get us to talk to more people so we can feel more like a part of a group.

But social media isn’t always the best way to do this. You might be able to get away from one bad situation only to be thrown into another. Instead of trying to get more people to follow you on social media, why not make plans to meet someone in person?

Getting out of the house and doing something social with friends can be a nice change of pace. Making plans with a good friend or setting up a group activity can make you feel less alone. It’s like being right in the middle of everything.

Don’t you have time to make plans? You might find it just as important to send a private message to a friend on social media. Instead of posting to a group and hoping for “likes.”

Practice Gratitude

Doing things that make you feel grateful has been shown to have positive effects. Keeping a gratitude journal can improve your mood and the feelings of those around you.

This is due in part to the fact that gratitude makes it more difficult to feel that life is lacking essentials. It’s also true that when we make other people happy, we end up happier ourselves.

Mood enhancement could be the key to overcoming your depression or anxiety. When you take stock of what you have, you won’t be as tempted to waste time on social media or suffer from this fear of losing out. You’ll start to realize that you, and everyone else, have all we really need. The benefits to your emotional and mental well-being may be much.

How To Avoid Crypto FOMO

Do Your Homework

Various forms of media feed into the compulsive fear of missing out. Such reports are rarely fact-checked. And instead, they interpret them in light of the reader’s preexisting beliefs.

Count On Reliable News Sources

Doing your homework will give you a leg up on how to deal with FOMO. Having a list of people and sources you can turn to for advice and information is also beneficial. With the help of these media outlets and influencers, you can make better choices. You can choose whether to buy or sell a crypto asset. You can use the extra knowledge and clarity to help you decide what to do with your trading or investments.

You Won’t Always Win

Realizing that life is a series of ups and downs gives you a more realistic view. Realizing that you will lose money as well as make money when you spend is the first step to making more money. Even Michael Saylor, a vocal supporter of Bitcoin, isn’t always on the right side of the Bitcoin market. The best course of action for a crypto investor or trader is to create systems that make the fear of losing out obvious.

Make A Plan To Deal With FOMO

Having a set of values can help you overcome the negative impacts of the fear of missing out in a healthy way. It implies keeping a checklist so you don’t make any rash moves or miss out on any market opportunities. Tokenomics and use cases will factor into your basic plan. Avoid rash trades by combining fundamental and technical expertise.

Recognize The Market Cycles

Like other financial markets, the bitcoin market experiences bullish and bearish periods. Bull markets have highs. Bear markets have lows and financial losses. Knowing when to enter and abandon a transaction based on this cycle will help you deal with FOMO.

Wrap Up

Fear of missing out is a real and common feeling. It affects people of all ages, even though it is strongly linked to social media use. At different times in their lives, everyone has a “fear of missing out” to some degree.

If you feel like you’re missing out on something, talk to a friend. Or take some time to think about the good things in your life. These activities give you a much-needed sense of balance. They equip you to deal with FOMO in your life. It completely depends on the sense of community we build and the weight of “missing out” we lose.