“FOMO, the fear of missing out, is a form of social anxiety,” says psychiatrist Gail Saltz. “This type of fear tends to cause compulsive behaviors, like checking out other social situations even as you are in the middle of one currently.”
Sound familiar? Well, the great irony is that a fear of missing out on something better can make you miss out on all the things you do have going on in your life right now. “The result of FOMO is often not truly being involved in any social relationship or experience because you always have one eye peering elsewhere,” Saltz says.
Take a quick inventory of your personal behaviors and make sure that FOMO isn’t backfiring on you. Here are three areas where FOMO can really hold you back.
1. Your Love Life Always on the lookout for a better guy? “You avoid investing too much or developing deep intimacy and trust with your current partner,” Saltz says. As a result, “men on the receiving end of FOMO often feel like second fiddle.” Is your guy really falling short of what you want, or does it just seem that way because you’re not giving him (and your relationship) due attention?
Sure sign of FOMO in your love life: “if you’re comparing your guy to every guy in your friends’ Facebook posts or Instagrams.”
2. Your Friendships “Friendship requires listening, giving, investing, and hanging in there,” Saltz says. If you’re constantly trying to meet new people instead of investing time and energy into the friends you already have, you might be missing out on a real connection. “Close friendships require some commitment,” Saltz says. “FOMO can lead to many acquaintances but no close friends.” Sure sign of FOMO in your friendships: “Worrying that there is a better party, cooler person to hang with or more fun group you’d rather join.”
3. Your Job We’ve all had a job we weren’t thrilled about once or twice, but if you’re always fantasizing about being elsewhere, FOMO could be to blame. “To be successful at work requires effort, dedication, and persistence,” says Saltz. Even if you’re not currently in your dream role, you can still care enough to put in the effort and use it as a stepping stone to something better in the future. Besides, “colleagues and bosses sense when you are not invested in the team,” Saltz points out, so you’re only shooting yourself in the foot. Sure sign of FOMO in your career: “Checking career websites incessantly for other jobs, even if you’ve been at yours only a short time.”
If you experience these symptoms step back and take some time to evaluate what is it that you want? The grass is not always greener on the other side. Make sure if it’s that job that you are focusing on seeing if the job is right for you and just not getting into another one.
If your or someone you know is becoming depressed from FOMO call GenPsych
at 1-855-GENPSYCH for help.
This article was taken from Glamour on MSN.Com:
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