How to Stop ‘Fear of Missing Out’ from Ruining Your Career

Posted on July 29, 2016

Thanks to social media and digital technology, we’re faced with constant comparisons of our vacations, our clothes, our relationships, our social lives, even our life choices, with those of others. Naturally, that ever-present stream of perfection leaves us feeling sub-par.

You start to question and doubt yourself, thinking things like: where does she get those amazing power outfits? My desk looks like a disaster, not a pretty Pinterest board. I wish I could afford a week in the Mediterranean on the salary I make.

Letting FOMO lead you to feeling bad about your personal life is one thing. But letting it interfere with your career can be even more damaging.

A toxic offshoot of FOMO is what I call Opportunity FOMO — or fear of missing out when it comes to career and professional development. Constantly questioning and doubting elements of your work life can negatively impact your performance, your sense of job satisfaction and your work-life happiness.

Think you might suffer from Opportunity FOMO? Ask yourself these questions:

Do you say yes to every single work-related opportunity that comes across your plate, justifying it by saying this may be a potential “big break”?

Do you over-schedule yourself, committing to networking events or learning opportunities like webinars, classes or workshops because you’ll feel like a failure if you don’t devote every second of free time to propelling your career forward?

Are you constantly questioning you work-life balance choices (like distractedly wondering what’s happening at the office while out to lunch with a co-worker, or checking your work email while relaxing with your spouse), thereby not fully being present in either area?

Do you often have doubts about your professional path in comparison to those you see on Linkedin, hear about over happy hour with your college friends or read about on blogs?

Do you frequently feel left out when you’re not included in a meeting or consulted on a decision?

If you’re unable to attend a conference or event, are you anxious that won’t make valuable connections that could take your career to the next level?

If you’re honest with yourself and you think you may have fallen prey to Opportunity FOMO, it’s possible that you’re also experiencing Impostor Syndrome, a belief prevalent among high-powered working women in which you feel inadequate and unqualified for your role or status, living in constant fear of being “found out.” In other words: if you’re frenetically afraid of missing out on work opportunities, it could be because you’re even more deeply afraid that your colleagues may discover that you’re some kind of career con artist. (Rest assured: you’re not!)

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Category(s):Career Development and Change

Source material from PsychCentral