Fully connected. Is it good for you?

People who never leave their mobile phone (losing it would be a disaster!). Those who constantly check their emails and chats, and read and send emails and messages during sleep time. They want to build an image of someone who is always on, always connected, always "in business".

They have a fear of missing out – FOMO.

FOMO is a real emotional rollercoaster that can leave you feeling uneasy, dissatisfied and downright stressed. And you guessed it, social media is a major culprit in fueling this FOMO frenzy, especially among Millennials. But let's understand FOMO, its impact, and some kick-ass strategies to kick it to the curb and live your best life!

Social Media: The FOMO Factory

Picture this: you're scrolling through your LinkedIn feed, and all you see are your friends and acquaintances succeeding with their careers and rising to the top. They're travelling to multiple destinations for conferences, meetings or field work and showing off their picture-perfect work lives. It's like a constant highlight reel of their awesome experiences. And here you are, feeling like you're lagging behind, comparing yourself to those seemingly perfect stories.

Let's remove the pink glasses. Those glamorous posts and stories are just a snippet of their lives, not the full picture. But our brains can't help but perceive it as a threat, thanks to our trusty amygdala, the survival centre of our brain. So, it's no wonder that FOMO kicks in, making you anxious and stressed, thinking you're missing out on the good, successful stuff you should be experiencing at work.

Here's the irony: FOMO and social media have a love-hate relationship. FOMO drives us to seek more connection and interaction. We check our LinkedIn profiles even more, desperate not to miss out on anything and posting as much as possible about our successes. It's like a never-ending loop of doom! Social media feeds our FOMO, and our FOMO feeds our addiction to social media. Talk about a vicious cycle!

A Sneak Peek into FOMO History

Ok, let's rewind a bit. FOMO has been lurking around for quite some time, even though it wasn't officially studied until 1996 by the marketing guru Dr Dan Herman. But it's likely been messing with people's minds for centuries.

It gained serious attention in 2004 when Patrick McGinnis, an MBA student at Harvard, wrote "Social Theory at HBS: McGinnis's Two FOs" in The Harbus, the Harvard Business School student newspaper. Originally known as "fear of a better option" (FOBO), McGinnis and his colleagues noticed that commitment issues were rising, especially after the 9/11 tragedy. They realised it wasn't settling that people feared but missing out on unknown experiences. And FOMO became a buzzword, finding its way into dictionaries and being considered for the coveted "Word of the Year" title.

Crushing FOMO

Now that we've laid bare the FOMO monster let's talk about crushing it. Well, a new healthy trend is winning more followers – JOMO. J stays here for Joy.

You should understand FOMO and where it comes from. Once you've got that down, you can take action to banish FOMO from your life. Why not take breaks from social media as a starting point? Banning checking work emails after certain moment in the evening is a next logical step.

Your second big move is gratitude. The secret sauce to conquer FOMO. Keep a gratitude journal and appreciate your work achievements, rewards and kind words from colleagues around you.

People are finally allowing themselves to disconnect, to REALLY enjoy their holidays, to work on work/life balance and to learn that disasters don't happen when we don't react immediately; they do happen in our own worlds when we do. Are you ready to join the JOMO bandwagon?