How FOMO is Fuelling Your Overwhelm
We all know that fear of missing out—FOMO—can drive us to say yes to too much.
FOMO sneaks into almost every corner of academic life: joining that committee on that thing you care (a bit) about, accepting the invited talk, saying yes to another research collaboration, or agreeing to write yet another book chapter. Maybe the opportunity to take on a challenging yet potentially career-advancing admin role comes your way, and you're wondering whether you can pass this up or not.
Whatever decision you make in these kinds of cases, note that FOMO is a survival instinct that pushes us to take on more because we're afraid that saying no will mean being left behind. It's the voice that says, "If I don't join this committee, attend that conference, or collaborate on that project, I'll miss a critical opportunity. What if this is IT?".
And while this response is completely human, it often leads us to overload ourselves with commitments that don't serve our long-term goals. Every "yes" driven by FOMO is a choice to spread your energy thinner, diluting your focus on what actually matters most to you. That might mean saying "no" to really fun and amazing things sometimes, too.
