FOMO, the fear of missing out, is something you’ve probably experienced.

You have a deadline coming up that really needs some attention but all your friends are going out and you can’t bear the thought of missing it. You see a friend get accepted into a cool program that doesn’t align with your interests but you feel an urgent desire to be a part of it too.

FOMO is just like comparison, where you look at what you don’t have and compare it to what you want to have.

FOMO sparkes a sense of lacking.

Social media has undoubtedly accelerated the spread of FOMO. And with the high concentration, we experience daily it’s hard not to have FOMO after the picture perfect lives showcased.

But if you were (or are) to base your life off of FOMO you will quickly discover that your happiness, achieving what others have, is fleeting.

Because there will always be someone who is doing something cool and interesting that you wish you were doing.

Instead of viewing their accomplishments with envy, try cheering them on and being honest about the actual value that these opportunities would add to your life. Most of the time an honest evaluation will reveal that you are much better saying no. Our FOMO is often in the end only a distraction.