The acronym ‘FOMO’ stands for ‘fear of missing out’. While this term can be used for a lot of things ranging from social media addiction to staying awake late binge-watching Netflix… in this article, we’ll look at how it applies to the workplace.
Yes… FOMO is a very real thing that millions of people all over the world suffer from and they don’t even realize it.
Hate taking time off
If you hate taking time off from work, you’re probably afraid of missing out on opportunities at work or the chance to do more work. Very often, people with FOMO have a tendency to be the first one to arrive at work and the last one to leave the workplace.
For those working from home, you may feel a need to read every article, watch every video and absorb every piece of content that you think concerns you. And if it doesn’t concern you, you consume it anyway, ‘just in case you need it in future’.
As a result, work takes up so much of your time that you barely have time for anything else.
Constant checking of work emails
The constant need to check your emails once every few minutes is another sign of FOMO. You want to be at the top of things every minute. Other people’s agendas have now become your own.
Your need to quickly reply to them trumps any inconvenience you may encounter. You don’t want to miss out on any email because you pride yourself on ridiculously fast support.
If you wish to have 24-hour instant support, you’ll need systems in place to handle this service. You should not be the one awake at all hours trying to handle the never-ending stream of emails.
Need to attend every meeting
People with FOMO feel a need to attend every meeting at the workplace even if it doesn’t concern them. They need to know everything that’s going on even if it’s just rumored that are being passed around at the water cooler.
This constant need to be aware of the work environment and all the dealings that keep happening will take a toll on one’s peace of mind and mental health.
You’ll be more stressed out and less productive. You can’t be focused on your job when you’re concerned with irrelevant things going on at the workplace.
Feel a constant need to do more
Another sign of FOMO is that you always feel like you could have done more and/or done better. You’re seldom happy with your work and believe that your sub-par performance is your fault, even when you’ve done a good job.
Obsesses about getting promoted or noticed
If you feel a constant need to be noticed by your superiors or be given a pat on the back for your good performance, you might be having a fear of missing out.
While the occasional nod of encouragement is fine, obsessing about it is not. You’ll end up obsessing about getting the promotion and going out of your way to do more just to garner attention.
The best case scenario is that you do get the promotion. The worst-case scenario is that you look desperate and you’re passed on for the promotion.
You then end up becoming a bitter wreck and blaming yourself further.
If you find yourself identifying with the points above, it’s time for you to eradicate FOMO from your life. You can either seek professional help or make small changes to your life and slowly aim for a good work-life balance where you don’t put your work at the center of your life at the expense of everything else.
Life is happening daily and all around you. Don’t be so busy fearing that you’ll miss out in the future only to miss the moments in the present. Be present wherever you are.