FOMO and Social Media: Safeguarding Your Mind on Instagram

Social media platforms would make you think everyone is having a great time. It’s like everyone’s daily life is fulfilling with no hiccups. This can’t be the case, right? FOMO and social media convince you that people’s highlight Reel is real life. That is simply not the case. 

Let’s talk about something people don’t like to admit happens to them. Being discontent with your life is perfectly normal at some point. Social media users likely experience that now and then. Let’s address this issue head-on.

What Does FOMO Stand For?

FOMO is an acronym that means the “fear of missing out.” The question is more than “What does FOMO stand for?” We need to talk about what it entails. It references the social anxiety that people feel about missing out on something momentous or important. Social media sites propel this phenomenon. Instagram or TikTok makes it easier for people to see what is happening outside. 

The term may be fairly new. However, the sensation has always existed. It’s just that social media has made it even more pervasive. It involves two major components. The first one is the perception that you are missing out on something important. The second component is the compulsive need to maintain social connections.

We can know everything that is taking place if we use social media. This increases the chances of experiencing FOMO. Before social media, we had no idea that people were living the kind of lives they were. Now, we see everything that they decide to share with us.

Now we know about the fabulous life that some people live in other countries. However, this feeling can happen through local influences as well. People that we know personally can inflict this on us. 

Social media and FOMO play into our innate need to feel like we belong. When we see other people having a good time, we feel excluded. It exacerbates the need for continuous connection to our peers. It plays into our need to experience everything our peers experience.

The Consequences of Severe FOMO

This feeling is not just about feeling bad that you missed out on something. It can become a serious debilitating condition. According to the National Library of Medicine, serious FOMO can bring some serious consequences. Let’s address a few of them.

Loss of Sleep 

Think of how much time you spend scrawling on social media. Then, think about how much time you spend wishing you didn’t miss out on something. That is precious time that you could use for sleep. It’s no wonder that a symptom of formal is loss of sleep.

You can’t approach social media with your best self without adequate sleep. This is why it’s so important to know when to turn off the phone and say good night. Not having enough sleep can lead to a lack of attentiveness at school or other important obligations.

Depression

At its worst, social media and this emotion can lead to extreme depression. And we’re not talking about the kind that comes and goes in waves. Sometimes, depression lingers for a long time. If you think this might be happening to you, check out our tips on how to deal with FOMO.

How To Deal With FOMO When You’ve Had Enough

When you go online, there is so much material to trigger FOMO. This is especially true when you don’t have your own life of satisfaction. The symptoms of this phenomenon can really affect your mental health. You’ll need to know how to deal with FOMO if social media is your job. If you don’t, you will hate using Instagram. 

You won’t get the joy you used to have from creating content. We can’t have that. So, let’s talk about what you can do to stop this feeling in its tracks.

1. Connect With People in Real Life

We know that all your friends are online. They have social media accounts and cell phones. Still, that doesn’t beat the real thing. It’s so much better to have friends in real life than online. They’re probably more interesting in real life as well. 

To get over the events you might miss, create memories with the people around you. They may surprise you that what you see on social media is not real. Sometimes, people exaggerate what is happening. They could do this, so other people wished they could be there. 

Being with people in person may show you that you never really missed out on anything.

Some people don’t have the luxury of living near their friends. In situations like this, you should go outside by yourself. You can make friends and create lasting bonds. You could have such a good time that you forget to post it online.

2. Deactivate Your Account

It’s okay to give yourself a mental break and leave Instagram temporarily. You can return when you feel like you have mentally repaired yourself. Instagram gives you the option to deactivate your account briefly. 

This is not the same as deleting your account. When you deactivate your account, you make it invisible to everyone on the platform. 

They can’t visit your profile or send you DMs. This eliminates the possibility of you seeing some huge event on your timeline. It removes the chance of someone sending you photos of the event in your direct messages. 

As with everything, there will be a new fad in no time. You just have to ride this wave and wait for something else to capture everyone’s attention. Pretty soon, everyone will forget about that event. Maybe you could make it to the next event.

3. Delete Social Media Apps Altogether

Sometimes, enough is enough. Temporarily deactivating your account might not be enough for you. You may want to delete your social media apps altogether. You could remove the apps from your phone so you don’t instinctively tap on them. 

It seems like it’s second nature from the moment we wake up to check social media. This is a very dangerous addiction. If you need to do something severe to fix that, you should. You can still access Instagram on a desktop, of course. If you find out you use this option, maybe you should delete your account altogether. 

Only you know your level of self-control. Only you know how serious FOMO is for you. Just know that this is an option that is available if you need it. Of course, if social media is your job, deleting the account might not be feasible for you.

Consider enlisting someone to manage social media for you. Perhaps you could give out orders and objectives for your Instagram account. You can leave it up to that person to execute everything. It would be helpful not to have to watch everything that everyone else is doing.

4. Journal Your Feelings

Sometimes, we just need help regulating our emotions. Using social media can sometimes, in a bit, affect our ability to connect with ourselves. This is why journalling is so important. When you set aside time to write down your feelings, you get to think more deeply. 

You get to find out the root cause of why social media and FOMO affect you so badly.

It might surprise you when you find out the truth about yourself. Maybe afterward, you can revisit social media with brand-new eyes.

How To Stop FOMO Stemming From Social Media

Some of us need to have social media. It is a useful way to keep up with current events. It’s the only way that we keep up with some of our friends who are far away. What we need is to control how we use it. 

Fortunately, there are some tricks to using social media responsibly. Here is how to stop FOMO while staying on social media.

1. Mute Stories

You know that huge event just happened over the weekend. It seems like everyone went, including the people who said they weren’t going to go. You already know that Instagram Stories will only feature this event. For some reason, you could not make it. Watching the Story will only add insult to injury. 

Fortunately, Instagram has a remedy for that. You don’t have to watch the Stories of the party animals even accidentally. You can mute Instagram Stories to avoid watching them. The person doesn’t even have to know that you muted them. 

Look at that Story banner that goes across your screen. Click on one of the profile icons and hold it. When you do this, you get the option to view the profile or mute the Stories. 

You could even go further and mute both Stories and posts from this user. If you need to take that extra step, feel free to do so. You remain a follower of this person. That way, you can avoid possible drama. 

2. Restrict Certain Users

You can’t stand when people brag in your messages about an event you didn’t go to. You’ve been polite for too long and have had enough. There is a way to limit communication with other Instagram users. And no, we don’t mean blocking them just yet. 

You can restrict them so you don’t feel an inundation of messages coming in from them. Their comments also won’t show up in the comment section of your posts. This is a good tool to protect your follower base as well. The commentator will be unaware that no one can see their comments.

If you do this, you will still be a follower of theirs. They likely won’t even notice when you restrict access to you. This is a great way of creating virtual boundaries with people online. This could be enough to be effective for you. If not, there is a more serious step that you could take.

3. Block To Protect Your Peace 

Sometimes, unfollowing an account just isn’t enough. Unfollowing doesn’t stop them from showing up on your explore page. It doesn’t stop them from reaching out to you to remind you what you missed out on. In extreme cases, blocking may be the only answer.

The person or account will not get a notification that you’ve blocked the IG account. They will simply have to use context clues to discover that for themselves. If they search for your account and can’t find you, this could be a dead giveaway. Just ensure that you prepare for the repercussions. 

Some people don’t like it when other people block them. It can be quite awkward if you know this person in real life. Ideally, you would exercise other steps before you get to this point.

FOMO and Social Media Shouldn’t Stop Your Growth Potential

Don’t you fear missing out on reaching your fullest potential? There are so many Instagram accounts just waiting to find yours. Do you want them to miss out on your amazing content? The social media users just need help finding you. We know the tricks to get them to your page. After all, we are social media experts.

With these tips, you can regulate your FOMO and social media usage. Plixi can help you reach followers who want to engage in your content. They won’t just come around to build numbers. Are you ready to go to the next level? Start growing your following with Plixi today!