Forget FOMO: Sometimes it’s better for you to miss out

Our generation has been afforded so many more opportunities than our parents before us. We can travel across the world at the drop of a hat (provided we have a few quid), we can have a cross-continental video chat simply by pressing a few buttons, and we can discover exactly what’s going on all over the world with a few quick scrolls on our smartphone.

Our little bubble can be as big or as small as we want it to be. It can stretch across the globe, or it can be confined to our couch, a onesie and the TV. While it’s truly amazing and eye-opening to have the freedom to be part of anything, at any time, that open door also comes with a few problems.

If you’re the kind of person who hates being left out of a conversation, or hates missing even the smallest of events with friends, you’ve definitely experienced FOMO at one point or another. Let’s face it, you probably experience it at least once a day.

Maybe you have work to catch up on, or are desperate for a few minutes to yourself, or maybe you just don’t have the funds. Whatever valid reasons you have for why you really shouldn’t be attending that dinner/house party/cocktail night, it’s impossible to ignore the little voice in your head that says, “but what if you miss out on something AMAZING?”

As the generation that has so many opportunities for discovery and exploration at our fingertips, it almost feels shameful to say “no” to an invitation. Why stay in for a quiet night when we could be out and about again, meeting new people and having incredible experiences?

Sometimes though, a reality check can go a long way. Yes, we might miss out on a life-changing experience at that gig/cinema trip/lunch, but in all likelihood, we probably won’t. All it will have resulted in is that we’ve now spread ourselves too thin and let ourselves down in other ways – by not getting enough sleep, by losing focus at work, or by missing out on family time.

As much as we need social experiences in our lives, we also need to maintain some sense of stability and balance. By rushing around trying to see everyone and discover everything that’s out there for us, we only end up missing out on the things that matter most – contentment and fulfilment.

So tonight, why not skip that invite for drinks that you really can’t afford a month before Christmas, and snuggle up with a cuppa and the Late Late Toy Show? Allow yourself to spend quality time alone or with family. Don’t stress about what you’re missing out on in the big bad world – just get settled in the moment and enjoy it.