Are you suffering from FOLO?

© Leonid Tit – 123RF.com

I personally get sunset FOMO (fear of missing out) and I'm not a happy camper if I don't get to see her majesty set. When I was younger, my FOMO was all about which party I was missing out on.

As I am maturing, I'm starting to feel a different 'OMO'! This time its the opposite of FOMO. It is called JOMO - the joy of missing out. My feeling of JOMO is so strong, even now as I write this, that I take a deep sigh of relief that I'm not missing out on whatever is happening around me! Except the sunset, of course.

The emerging markets around the world are all in the mindset of FOMO - think cities like Dubai, Johannesburg, Shanghai and many others - there are launches and parties going on all the time and everyone wants to get onto that guest list!

But if we think of cities in the mature markets, they are mostly in the mind set of JOMO - think of cities like San Fransisco, pockets of Cape Town, Berlin etc. - here people enjoy doing quieter activities in smaller more intimate groups if not alone - like meditation, hikes and yoga.

But welcome to 2016, where there is a new acronym that we are all starting to suffer from - its called FOLO - Fear Of Living Offline - and it makes sense that the concept will gain momentum in a "pics-or-it-didn't-happen" Instagram world, where increasingly people need to digitally validate experiences as if moments passed without the social media stamp is fruitless.

(Quick confession - I'm a firm JOMO dude with a creeping FOLO issue.)

So if you are suffering from FOLO - don't stress. It's a worldwide phenomena that is not going away any time soon, especially as we start living more digitally interviewed lives.

5 ways to be a great at FOLO:

• Learn which is your good side
• Get a smart phone with a great camera
• Learn how to use all the camera settings - Pano is a very good way to capture a lot more in your pic
• Download some great filter and pic apps - besides Instagram
• Only once manicured, i.e. the pic is of your good side, the view looks amazing, the filter is just right and it looks like a pic from National Geographic - then post!

Ready, steady - FOLO like a superstar!

(Blog inspired by Sparks & Honey)