How many times have you felt compelled to say no, but you ended up accepting a job or an activity because of FOMO? Or I should better refer to it as Fear of Missing Out.

Thinking that you are being left “out of the loop” can become a problem.  There will always be exciting events happening elsewhere. Younger generations are experiencing anxiety as they stare at TikTok or Instagram during the pandemic.

I concluded a long time ago that we all have different timing in life. We have been born in different countries, different cultures, and of course, within different generations. As a young student, one gets the impression we all experience life at once. All our classmates have similar schedules, vacation time, and so on. But soon, we realize it is just our imagination. We are destined to experience life in our own personal terms.

In the end, life has proven to me that in order to live life in a healthy manner we need to learn how to say no and establish healthy boundaries. How else would others know what to expect from you?

Discovering ways to effectively say no, setting boundaries while not dropping excuses it is an art in itself.  If you don’t master this skill you will soon realize there is not enough time to do anything. “Saying no stirs up intensely negative emotions—embarrassment and guilt,” says Bohns. But how will you feel when you cannot physically complete all your accepted challenges?

Photo by cottonbro