Some people suffer from FOMO (or the fear of missing out) constantly. Personally, I don't understand it, but it sounds pretty bad. The idea that you can't let yourself do what you want because you are afraid you will be missing out on something else can control your life. You can end up missing out on some great opportunities because of FOMO — the main negative side effect.
Most people use it as an excuse for being basic or for going along with the crowd. A select few, however, wish they could overcome the urge to do as others do and go after things they want for themselves. To those people I say: YOU CAN DO IT!
Like anything else, suppressing this urge takes time and focus. Start off small; do something by yourself. Whether it's going for a walk, shopping or going out for a meal (or even a cup of coffee if a meal is too big of a step), doing some sort of activity on your own will show you that you can, in fact, do things alone.
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are missing or giving up something you have looked forward to so that you can do something all of your friends are doing, that should be a wake-up call. If you are constantly giving up things that make you happy, when you look back on your life, you will most certainly feel unsatisfied. Do your future self the favor of experiencing all the things you have the opportunity to do now.
If you are considering going abroad, you have the opportunity of a lifetime at your fingertips. You can literally go anywhere in the world. You can choose to spend five months soaking up the culture of a country or spend that time traveling the world and learning about a huge variety of cultures and peoples. You can do ANYTHING! Don't make a decision about where to go based on what other people are considering doing. Don't take this huge opportunity away from yourself.
If you want to study somewhere and it happens that a lot of your friends want to study there too, great! But don't choose a destination because you are afraid of missing out on the things those people are going to do together.
This goes for any opportunity you are given in life. Nothing will set you apart from the rest if you are always doing what everyone else is doing. Give yourself chances to make it on your own. Give yourself the night off when everyone is going out. Skip the party to get some sleep. If you feel uncomfortable doing something or going somewhere, don't go!
It's a lot easier than we make it out to be. Don't give in to the powers of FOMO. You will be a lot happier with yourself and will respect yourself a whole lot more if you just do you instead of trying to be everyone else.
