FOPO is not nearly as fun as FOMO
Growing older, people often make such a big deal out of it. But I have discovered one advantage that makes it quite enjoyable for me. The older I get, the less I care about what others say about me or think of me. It has a positive effect on my FOPO, fear of other people’s opinions.
That was quite different. Even though I was filled with a lot of self-confidence in the past, sometimes your insecurity takes over. For me, this manifests in avoiding conflicts, which has something to do with other people’s opinions. Do you struggle with this too? I can advise you to grow older, it helps. Is that not fast enough for you? Then there are other ways.
Where does that FOPO come from? Is it in our nature or is it learned behavior? It stems from the fear of social disapproval, so being afraid of being judged socially by the environment. This hinders you, for example, in asking a question at a meeting or walking through a room filled with people.
FOPO is harmful. The moment you are afraid of being judged, you start to behave according to the expectations and approval of others. This makes you more cautious and thus you do not utilize your full potential. You do not speak up, you miss opportunities because you think you cannot, you are less original and especially less yourself. While there is only one thing you must do in this life and that is to be yourself.
Michael Gervais explains in Harvard Business Review that you have smart actions to ensure that FOPO does not take over.
1. Stop what you are doing when you feel FOPO coming on and acknowledge that it is there and think about why it is.
2. Tell yourself why you can do something, why you must do it, and why you especially should not give in to fear. Actually, these are just affirmations. You shift the focus to what you think instead of focusing on what others think.
3. Breathe in deeply and out; it is the easiest way to let your body know that the stress is unnecessary. You tell your brain that you are not in danger.
Once you have these three under control, it is time to take a step further. This involves creating your own philosophy and daring to take a little more risk each time.
Source: Harvard Business Review
