Have you ever experienced the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)? What influences your decisions for choosing one cross-stitch pattern or project over another?
I will be one of the first people to put my hand up and admit that I regularly suffer from FOMO and it drives me and my loved ones up the wall! My indecision ranges from which chocolate bar to have through trying to decide what meal to have or which cross stitch pattern to stitch next. When I’m trying to make a decision, I consider things from all angles and perspectives – including whether or not I’ll regret my purchase and feel that I’ve missed out on something.
A Psychology Todayarticle (published 23rd April 2018) by Nick Hobson Ph. D. discussed the fear of missing out and two studies scientists conducted to try and understand how FOMO works and if it’s isolated to certain social situations. What I took out of the article is that the FOMO has a lot to do with confidence within ourselves to make decisions that are right for ourselves, being happy with those decisions (regardless of the outcome) and living in the moment.
It’s important to note that dealing with FOMO and getting over the FOMO is a work in progress. Something that I’m working on daily. When I’m trying to decide on which pattern to stitch next or which one to purchase, I remind myself of the budget I’ve allocated myself and ask myself:
- Who am I stitching this for?
- Why do I want to purchase the pattern/kit?
- When do I need to complete the project by?
- Can I realistically complete the project in time?
- Do I have all of the tools for the project?
What about you? Have you ever experienced FOMO or remorse regarding your craft? How have you handled it?
Related Articles and Links:
- Tips to get over your FOMO
- If you don’t have FOMO, you don’t know what you’re missing out on – Huffpost article posted 15 July 2016
- FOMO vs JOMO: How to embrace the joy of missing out
The XStitching Runner 