FOMO: Why It’s Okay to Miss Out
08.05.2025 | reading time: 3 minutes
Do you know this feeling? Your days during the week are fully planned with school, homework, training and tutoring, and maybe meeting friends in between. And at the weekends and on holiday, you want to do lots of things because you've seen what other people are doing on TikTok. And there's no time for relaxation, even though that might be what you need most right now.
This feeling of missing out on something or that others are having a more exciting life than you is called FOMO - ‘Fear of Missing Out’. This feeling is intensified by social media in particular, as often only the best and most exciting moments are shared there. You get the impression that you constantly have to keep up with other people's leisure activities - be it meeting up with friends, exciting hobbies or cool, unusual experiences. Added to this is perhaps the fear of being excluded if you don't manage to do this as often as you would like.
But it is this constant ‘wanting to be there’ that can lead to us feeling overwhelmed in our already limited free time and taking on far more than is good for us. Instead of relaxing, we pack our days full so that we don't miss out on anything. The actual purpose of leisure time, namely relaxation, can be lost as a result. This can cause leisure stress - a state in which leisure time is no longer perceived as relaxation, but as pressure. This is often because we decide to take part in activities that we don't really enjoy but only do so that we don't miss out on anything.
So how can you avoid FOMO and leisure stress?
Rely on JOMO instead of FOMO: JOMO stands for ‘Joy of Missing Out’ - the joy of consciously doing without something. You don't always have to be everywhere. Try to enjoy not doing what might look good on social media, but what is really relaxing for you, e.g. lying on the sofa or in the sun (without your mobile phone).
Plan conscious offline times: Constantly scrolling through social media can increase FOMO. Plan specific times when you put your mobile phone away, e.g. in the morning after getting up, at the bus stop or while doing your homework. Put your mobile phone in flight mode or put it in a drawer or preferably even in another room.
Listen to your own needs: Ask yourself: Do I really enjoy and care about the things that make me FOMO? Or do I just do some things because everyone else is doing them? Maybe you're not the type to party at the weekend or have lots of plans, but would rather relax with music or a podcast, read a book or talk to friends on the phone? Find out what really does you good - and dare to say no sometimes. That's okay and doesn't make your life any more or less valuable!
Don't forget: leisure time shouldn't be a competition for experiences. It's not about doing as much as possible, it's about doing what makes you happy and brings you joy!
If you want to learn more about how to deal with FOMO or comparing yourself to others, then check out our eSano module "How does Social Media affect you?".
