Youโve probably heard of the term โFOMOโ or maybe you havenโt. It means โFear of Missing Outโ and it is essentially the anxious feeling you get when you think something interesting is happening somewhere else and youโre missing out on it.
As someone who loves to travel but hates the actual process of air travel, I am driven to travel fast, packing my holidays with every single activity that my new city or country offers. Sometimes, I plan my holidays this way because I genuinely want to see or do those things that the new city offers and also because I am not sure if Iโll ever get another chance to see/do them again. But other times, itโs just a bad case of FOMO.
I worry about coming back home, scrolling through social media and seeing that I have missed out on something exciting, especially if said exciting thing happened in a place Iโve been. And whatโs worse, itโs not related to just travel alone. It applies to almost every aspect of our daily lives.
I know the feeling I get when I feel like I should be in a certain place or phase in life or be doing certain things.ย Obviously, this feeling sucks! Butย I think to myself โwhy sink into a dark hole when I can be living my best moment NOW?โ Because with FOMOs, youโre literally missing out on the present and that isnโt really living.
And so, Iโve listed out a few tips to help combat this feeling and to inspire you (and I) to live our best in the moments weโre presently in.
Quiet the Noise
Social media seems to arouse FOMOs more, so how about you switch off the phone every once in a while. Social media represents only an aspect of our lives and the quicker we understand that, the better. I wrote a post once about the low lights of my travels, about how it hasnโt all been rosy but I donโt put up morose pictures on IG or Facebook. Why would I? Iโm not trying to project a false life but pictures are literally the last thing on my mind when Iโm feeling down.
I find many social media pages inspiring โ making me want to be a better version of myself but when I findย myself feeling like Iโm missing out on life in general (because of what I see), I step away, get my thoughts back in order, look for people or activities that lift my spirit and channel my thoughts into more productive things.
Count your blessings
There are so many things to be grateful for if you would just look around you. Even being here, reading this crappy post is something to be thankful for. Youโre alive and you have data! Seriously, you donโt even have to think too much about it. Someone else is currently praying to be where you are right now.
Do more with what you have
If you love to travel, donโt wait until youโve got a million dollars before you decide to explore places. Make the best use of what you have. I have travelled to different countries with as little as N15,000, you can actually do more with less. If you canโt afford to explore places that are far away, how about you explore your own country, city or neighbourhood? Travel is never only about a place. It is an experience and you have the power to create the best experience wherever you choose to explore.
Focus on what makes you happy
Look inward, not out, for your happiness. Find what makes you genuinely happy and stick with it โ as long as it isnโt harmful (Just thought I should put that out there! :))
Lastly, Give life your best shot NOW!
