What is FOBO And How Do You Stop it Ruining Your Personal Life?

By October 18, 2018Other

We’ve all heard of FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out). It usually crops up when we see friends posting pictures of their far-flung travels or when an ex-colleague reminds us what a great career they have.

But have you ever heard of FOBO?

FOBO is the new anxiety-ridden acronym that is plaguing people the world over. Because we live in such a technology-focused world we now not only fear missing out on things in real life we also have a fear of being offline (FOBO).

Recently Well + Good reported that more and more millennials are experiencing this trend. Worryingly it can contribute to anxiety at work that can spill over into our personal lives too.

If you compulsively check your phone, emails and Slack message outside of working hours just in case there is some kind of minor emergency then you are probably suffering from some kind of FOBO.

Here are some easy ways to stop it ruining your personal life.

Schedule your phone time

You don’t need to be on your phone 24/7 (shocking I know). Every evening ban your mobile phone from 8pm onwards. When your phone is out of sight you naturally start to worry less about any notifications that you may or may not be getting. Remember that if there is a real issue your colleagues will call you. Everything else can wait until tomorrow morning.

Set expectations

It’s important that you set boundaries with your boss and with your colleagues. If they get used to you replying to queries late at night then that will start to become the norm. Let them know that you will only be replying to messages during normal office hours. Don’t be afraid to keep people waiting.

Practice some self-care

You should view your evenings in the same way that you view annual leave. It’s a chance for you to unwind, recuperate and do something you enjoy. Use the time to read, practice sports or take part in any other hobby that makes you happy.

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Author Alice Murray

Alice Murray is a Content Creator at Jobbio with a passion for Employer Branding and Graduate Culture. She's a keen traveller and a self-proclaimed lazy runner.

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