What Is FOMO & and How Does Your Personality Type Influence It?

In psychology, FOMO refers to the fear of missing out, a type of anxiety that happens when people assume others are living more exciting, rewarding, or meaningful lives than they are. If left unaddressed, it can lead to loneliness, depression, feelings of inferiority, and other negative outcomes.

This article will provide an in-depth explanation of what FOMO is, covering its causes, signs, connection to the Enneagram framework, and more.

What Is FOMO and Why Does It Happen?

FOMO is an acronym for the fear of missing out, or the feeling of anxiety and unease stemming from the assumption that others are having more rewarding experiences or opportunities than you. This term was coined by the American author and venture capitalist Patrick J. McGinnis in 2004.

So, what is FOMO caused by? Several factors can contribute to it, such as a need for belonging and excessive social media use. Most commonly, however, this feeling is rooted in a scarcity mindset, comparison culture, social validation loops, or dopamine and reward systems.

Let’s explore the main causes of FOMO in greater depth:

#1. Scarcity Mindset

FOMO is often a product of a scarcity mindset, or the tendency to focus on the lack of resources. Put simply, scarcity thinking is characterized by the belief that your time, money, opportunities, and other resources are limited.

Consequently, you may fear that if you don’t take advantage of opportunities immediately, you’ll lose out on something valuable. FOMO often intensifies when others seize the opportunity you missed, leading to the feeling of being left out, a sense of falling behind in life, and envy.

#2. Comparison Culture

Comparison culture is another major cause of FOMO. Although comparing yourself to others can motivate you to improve your life, it more commonly leads to feelings of inferiority and diminished self-esteem.

Social media, where people share polished snapshots of their lives, highlighting their career achievements, vacations, social events, and personal milestones, is one of the main drivers of comparison culture. Being exposed to these curated moments can make you think your life isn’t nearly as exciting.

And the more you compare yourself to others, the more you may feel like you aren’t living up to your full potential, which only intensifies FOMO.

#3. Social Validation Loops

Social validation loops, especially on social media, can significantly contribute to FOMO. These loops usually happen when people base their self-worth on external validation, relying on likes and comments to feel accepted and good about themselves.

Seeing that you aren’t getting the level of online engagement you expect or that others are getting more attention can trigger insecurity and FOMO. In turn, you may feel compelled to buy trendy clothes, attend popular events, and so forth to get social validation and maintain a sense of belonging, acceptance, and connection.

#4. Dopamine + Reward Systems

Dopamine and the brain’s reward systems play a major role in developing FOMO.

Your brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter also known as the “feel-good hormone,” whenever something new, pleasurable, or rewarding happens. And since the brain is wired to seek dopamine-inducing activities, it can cause you to question your decisions and wonder if you passed up any better, more rewarding opportunities.

Since you now know what FOMO is, it’s time to explore its signs and symptoms.

5 Signs & Symptoms of FOMO

The five main signs and symptoms of FOMO are compulsive social media checking, anxiety triggered by other people’s plans, difficulty relaxing, impulsive decision-making, and a lack of satisfaction in current decisions.

Let’s examine them in greater detail:

#1. Constant Checking of Social Media

The urge to constantly check social media is one of the clearest signs of FOMO. In fact, a study by Dmitri Rozgonjuk et al. found that FOMO in social media is a significant predictor of Internet, smartphone, and social network use disorders.

Instead of using social media intentionally, individuals experiencing FOMO keep refreshing their feeds for updates on other people’s lives, new trends, or events out of fear of missing out on something important.

#2. Anxiety When Others Make Plans

Feeling anxious when other people make plans is another sign of FOMO. This reaction most often occurs when these plans don’t include you, triggering a fear of being left out, forgotten, and, ultimately, missing out on something fun or important.

In such situations, you may not only start imagining what you’re missing but also worry about your place in your community. As such, FOMO can lead to overthinking and insecurity, especially if you crave or fear losing your sense of belonging.

#3. Difficulty Relaxing or Being Present

Being fully present in the moment can be challenging when you have FOMO. After all, your mind keeps wandering, wondering whether something better or more exciting is happening elsewhere or if others are having more fun than you. This can happen even when you’re engaged in something you truly enjoy doing.

FOMO can also make relaxing nearly impossible. Even when you know you need some rest, you may feel as if you’re wasting your time or falling behind others. Such restlessness can leave you feeling irritated, burned out, and disconnected from the present moment.

#4. Impulsive Decisions to Keep Up

FOMO often leads to impulsive decision-making, which stems from an attempt to keep up with others, their social lives, new trends, and so forth.

Often, these decisions may not even fully align with your values, interests, and priorities, leading you to say “Yes” to things you don’t even truly want. You may, for example, cancel a movie night with friends at the last minute to attend an event your coworkers invited you to, even though you were looking forward to hanging out with your buddies.

Although such impulsive decisions may relieve your anxiety at first, they may also bring regret and cause you to feel disconnected from yourself and your desires.

#5. Low Satisfaction With Current Choices

Another common sign of FOMO is dissatisfaction with choices or commitments you’ve already made. Instead of simply feeling content with your decisions, you may wonder if there was a better option you might’ve missed. This dissatisfaction can cause you to second-guess your choices and, by extension, to doubt yourself and your ability to make decisions.

Ultimately, FOMO leads to a “grass is greener” mindset, where you feel like any choice you make is wrong because something better may be happening somewhere else.

Now that you know what FOMO is and how to recognize it, let’s see how it affects your daily life.

How FOMO Affects Daily Life

FOMO can negatively affect your daily life, as it prevents you from being present, increases symptoms of depression, and lowers your self-esteem. More specifically, it can lead to sleep disruptions, distractibility, overbooking, financial strain, decision paralysis, and interpersonal conflict, all of which can considerably reduce life satisfaction.

Here’s a more detailed overview of the effects of FOMO on daily life:

• Distractibility. It causes your mind to drift away from the here and now and focus on what you could’ve been doing or what others are doing, preventing you from concentrating on tasks or simply savoring the present moment.
• Overbooking. FOMO can drive you to say “Yes” to every opportunity, causing you to overbook yourself. You may find it difficult to decline invitations even when you’re battling social fatigue or simply feel like resting.
• Sleep disruptions. This issue can interfere with your ability to effectively fall and stay asleep by making you prone to overthinking and late-night scrolling.
• Decision paralysis. When you struggle with such an issue, making decisions can seem nearly impossible; you might not want to stick to one option out of the fear of losing out on others, or spend hours evaluating every possibility before committing to one.
• Interpersonal conflict. FOMO can lead to relationship tension by triggering feelings of being left out or forgotten, which can cause resentment and misunderstandings. Plus, it can push you to make impulsive decisions that may upset your loved ones.

How to Overcome FOMO: 5 Practical Tips

To overcome FOMO, it’s critical to become aware of triggers, set digital boundaries, engage in mindfulness and grounding exercises, and practice gratitude. If necessary, don’t hesitate to talk to a licensed professional.

Let’s discuss these tips in more detail:

#1. Become Aware of Triggers

The first step in overcoming FOMO is becoming aware of the specific situations, people, or environments that trigger it. Awareness can help you better understand where it stems from and how to prevent or deal with it. Most importantly, it enables you to pause and make decisions intentionally rather than impulsively.

Each person may have different FOMO triggers, which is why it’s critical to observe your thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Anything that induces a sense of urgency, envy, or anxiety may act as a trigger. Some common examples include:

• Seeing friends making plans without you
• Discovering trends (new products, events, TV shows, etc.)
• Witnessing others receive praise or attention for their successes
• Scrolling through vacation photos, personal or professional milestone posts, etc., on social media

#2. Set Digital Boundaries

Since FOMO is closely related to social media, setting digital boundaries is an effective way to overcome it.

Start by noticing why you’re reaching out to your smartphone or laptop. Is it habitual or intentional? If it’s the former, it’s best to set specific times for checking social media instead of scrolling out of habit. This alone can help you take control of your attention and reduce the risk of FOMO.

You can also set digital boundaries by unfollowing accounts that trigger FOMO within you and turning off distracting or non-essential notifications.

#3. Engage in Mindfulness + Grounding Exercises

Mindfulness and grounding exercises are powerful tools that can help you overcome FOMO by bringing you back to the present moment. These exercises can be especially helpful when your mind drifts toward social comparison, worry, or imagined scenarios. Mindfulness can also help you reconnect with yourself, making you more aware of your needs, triggers, and priorities.

Here are some practices you might find useful:

• Meditation
• Deep breathing
• Mindful journaling

#4. Practice Gratitude

If there’s one antidote to FOMO, it’s gratitude; it trains your mind to focus on what you have instead of fixating on what you lack. By acknowledging and celebrating the good things that are already in your life, you can effectively combat the scarcity mindset and the urge to compare yourself to others that often fuel FOMO.

One of the best ways to practice gratitude is to write down 3–5 things you’re grateful for every morning or evening. Making intentional pauses throughout the day to notice and appreciate something positive can also help you cultivate a gratitude mindset.

#5. Seek Professional Help

When severe, FOMO can significantly interfere with your daily life, work, and relationships. Therefore, if the tips below aren’t effective enough, it’s in your best interest to consult a licensed professional on how to deal with this issue. They can help you recognize your triggers, identify their deeper causes, and assist you in overcoming FOMO once and for all.

Next, let’s discuss how different Enneagram personality types experience it.

Enneagram Types and FOMO

When it comes to the Enneagram and FOMO, it’s important to know that all personality types can experience it. However, some, such as Sevens and Threes, are more susceptible to it than others due to their unique motivations and fears.

Type Five, for example, is more interested in intellectual pursuits than external stimulation; because it usually derives its sense of self-worth from within, these individuals rarely, if ever, experience FOMO. However, they may still struggle with it, especially when they assume others have access to knowledge or information that they do not.

Similarly, Enneagram Nines rarely experience FOMO because they prefer leading peaceful, calm, and predictable lives rather than constantly seeking new experiences. Still, they have a strong desire to belong, so they may struggle with it when they feel socially excluded.

That said, these Enneagram types are most prone to FOMO:

• Type 2. Twos crave love and acceptance, so they often feel FOMO when they see or assume others are bonding without them.
• Type 3. Threes are status- and image-conscious individuals with a hunger for success. As such, they may experience FOMO when they see others progressing faster or receiving more recognition than they are.
• Type 4. Fours feel fundamentally different from others but are prone to social comparison; they often focus on their perceived flaws and deficiencies. This, coupled with their constant quest for meaningful experiences, makes them prone to FOMO.
• Type 7. Sevens are most commonly associated with FOMO because they desire freedom and novelty above all else. For this reason, they are prone to impulsivity and are rarely satisfied with their decisions. It’s not uncommon for them to worry about missing out on something more exciting.

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Key Takeaways

By now, you know not only what FOMO is but also how to overcome it. As such, it’s time to summarize the key things we learned today:

• FOMO usually happens due to the influence of comparison culture, a scarcity mindset, social validation loops, and the brain’s reward system.
• Some signs of having it include constantly checking social media, difficulty being present, making impulsive decisions, and dissatisfaction with current choices.
• Identifying triggers, setting digital boundaries, and practicing gratitude are among the most effective ways to overcome this problem.
• While individuals belonging to the Enneagram 7 are certainly aware of what FOMO is, Twos, Threes, and Fours are also no strangers to this feeling.

What Is FOMO FAQ

#1. Is FOMO good or bad?

FOMO is neither good nor bad; its effects depend on how often and intensely you experience it. In “small doses,” it can prompt you to step outside your comfort zone and stay socially engaged. However, if you constantly experience it and let it control your life, it can take a toll on your mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, comparison, and overall dissatisfaction.

#2. Is FOMO a mental health condition?

FOMO isn’t a diagnosable mental health condition, but it can have an adverse effect on your mental health, increasing the risk of depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem. Researchers at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University also found a significant correlation between FOMO and social anxiety.

#3. How do I stop comparing myself on social media?

To stop comparing yourself on social media, remind yourself that it isn’t an accurate reflection of reality; most people only post the highlights of their lives. Unfollowing accounts that trigger comparisons, focusing on your personal goals, and practicing gratitude can also be very helpful. If needed, consider limiting social media use to a minimum or learning how to use it mindfully.