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Fear Of Missing Out

I like to have fun, go to parties, and see my friends. I’m a social girl. Sometimes, too much fun actually isn’t fun, and I find myself at a party, just because I don’t want to miss anything. I’ve had a “fear of missing out,” or “FMO.”

What is this, “FMO,” or fear of missing out, you might ask? It’s simple. It’s not wanting to miss something, because you’re afraid of the fun you might miss. It’s really a thing, I promise, and I’ve experienced it too many times to even count.

It can easily happen in December, when it’s holiday time. Party time. Celebration time.

Holiday parties are fun, but not when you have too many parties to attend. That’s when too much fun can actually stop being fun, and crosses over into the world of obligatory attending. You still RSVP “yes” to the party, though, because you don’t want to miss out on any fun.

For example, have you ever had two holiday parties to attend on the same night? Of course you have. We’ve all been there.

Going from one party to the next, just to avoid the fear of missing out, doesn't work.

Going from one party to the next, just to avoid the fear of missing out, doesn’t work.

One year, we had three parties fall on the same night. Instead of picking just one, I made the executive decision that we would attend all three. I had it perfectly timed out. We would go to the first one, have a drink and exchange hugs, and an hour later, zoom to the next. We repeated this brilliant formula three times. It was fine, in the beginning, and then it wasn’t.

Because, who wants to go to three parties in one night? Instead of having fun at one party, we didn’t really have any fun at any party. We spent the night looking at our watches, getting in and out of our car, and delivering hostess gifts.

No thanks.

I’m not like this at all anymore. I don’t try to see how many holiday parties I can attend. I don’t try to do it all. Because, I can’t. When I spend my time rushing around from one place to the next, my joy is diluted. There’s no fun in that.

I’m older, wiser, and less popular. And, very happy about it.

I don’t want to spend the holiday season “being seen,” running from one party to the next, and looking at my watch. I want to spend it relaxing, connecting to people I love, and having meaningful conversations. I’ve ditched my fear of missing out, and replaced it with a desire for peace, relaxation, and taking the time to focus on the people standing in front of me. That’s where I find my fun.

Try it, I think you might like it.

Find meaning each day,

Dara

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