Is your smartphone the first thing you pick up in the morning and the last thing you check at night? Do you spend hours scrolling through your social media feeds? And on top of that, your social calendar is oversaturated? Yet still, do you constantly feel that you might be missing out on the best events?! Well if you answered “yes” to the questions above, then, it is quite likely that you are suffering from FOMO or Fear of Missing Out!

FOMO Phobia or Addiction to Social Media

Welcome to the FOMO era! While FOMO has, in fact, existed for centuries, its prevalence and intensity has greatly accelerated over the past few decades. Thanks to the advent of the internet, and particularly social media, today we live in an information-rich (and obsessed) society. Thus enabling FOMO “addicts”: in just a click they can scrutinize the highlights of their “friends” lives in real-time. All they need to do is rush to their Facebook feed!

Cure to FOMOitis : 5 tips

Phobia or hysteria? There has been a lot of research on the topic and it seems that FOMO can have a real, detrimental, impact on psychological health. So, how to overcome this addiction? Here are five helpful tips:

#1 Technology is great but not always indispensable
A life dictated by technology don’t leave room for creativity! Connect to people and know when to disconnect from gadgets… Turn off that phone and close that laptop, you don’t need them all the time!

#2 Power of Small and Simple Things
The digital world brings a lot of opportunities but so does the real world! You have a lot of amazing people surrounding you that you get to see and meet everyday without social media! Great things to do where you connect with real people and nature. Slow down, engage your senses or go for a walk!

#3 Stay conscious and aware!
Social Media isn’t real! Remember that people share the most exciting parts of their lives not everything they do! Where to draw the line, then? If you start realising that social media is actually preventing you from being social… you could start right from there!

#4 Say “STOP” to information overload!
This one is really tricky! I personally sometimes get entangled in this vicious circle! So how do you cope with information overload? Say “STOP!” You don’t need to read everything, we're human beings, not machines!

#5 Learn to meditate.
If it works for many other addictions, it would definitely help you overcome FOMO. Take 10 mins to reflect on yourself! Relax. Quiet your mind. Enjoy the silence. Let go of the distractions. Breathe!

Don’t let social media, and technology keep you away from living your real lives to the fullest! So, if you are in the hottest place in town and you are still wondering whether you picked the best option, then step back, try our tips above…

Ready to cure your FOMO?

This article was written by the Sparkle Team