Is FOMO Running You Dry?

Happy New Year!

It’s hard to believe we’re already two weeks into the new year! 

Someone on my Facebook feed posted a meme that went something like this:

“30 days has September, April, June and November. All the rest have 31 except for January which has about seven #@!$% hundred.”

I know that especially applies to us further north, like here in Winnipeg, where the days are short and the cold is bitter and we won’t be seeing any green until sometime in April. It’s especially hard on those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but that’s a whole other blog.

I personally don’t find it long at all. When back to school doesn’t start until nearly a week in, and there are upcoming masterclasses, auditions, exams, recitals, festivals and performances, January hardly seems long enough! 

And herein lies the problem for many a performer. 

We are afraid to miss out!

We don’t want to miss any opportunity to perform and be seen, to network, to take that next step in our performing career. And it’s not just active performers, teachers, too, taking on every possible student and giving their students extras outside of lessons.

This fear of missing out (FOMO) is running us into the ground. We feel stressed. We lose sleep. We skip meals. We start to get sick more often. Our mental and physical health suffer. 

As a result our creativity suffers!

How can we possibly sing or teach at our best when we have that kind of load on us?

My friend and business coach Michelle Markwart Deveaux said recently on The Full Voice Podcast, “If you do not choose to take the time off your body will do it for you”.

This is absolutely true, and since I’m feeling in a quotey mood another well-known one is, “If you don’t take time for your wellness, then you will be forced to take time for your illness.” 

So to help to help you overcome the FOMO in your life here are 3 tips:


Three Tips to Overcoming FOMO:

1. Choose with Intention:

Most of us have many projects we would like to take on, but it’s time to take a hard look at everything and decide what is really important to you. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
Does it “spark joy” as Marie Kondo says? 
Does it help you grow personally or professionally? 
Does it pay your bills? And are you charging what you’re worth?
If you are doing a freebie, is it a good investment of your time or for the future? 

2. Ditch, Delegate and Delay

It’s important to set some boundaries and ask for help when needed. That’s where the 3 Ds come in. 

Ditch. Anything that is no longer serving you has to go. Somethings have their season and need to go. Other things may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but may be bogging you down or distracting you from what really needs to happen. If you’ve chosen with intention, then all your other projects can go.

Delegate. There are things that need to be done daily, weekly, monthly, but do YOU really need to do them all. This includes household chores like laundry, meal prep, grocery shopping, cleaning, as well as business things like scheduling, accounting and so on. Can another family member help out with some of the load? Can you outsource some of the tasks?

Delay. Some projects are great. Want to record an album? Want to produce a show? If they aren’t a priority at this moment and you don’t realistically have the time, then it’s something to keep on your wish list, but don’t kill yourself trying to squeeze in everything RIGHT NOW.


3. Make Time for Your Wellness

As I touched on earlier, taking on everything can leave us chronically stressed. It affects our sleep, our eating patterns, which in turn affect our immunity. This can all lead to mental and physical illness. And your ability to practice your art at full capacity will pay the price.

It’s critical to make time for your wellness. This means schedule EVERYTHING. Time for a walk or a workout. Time for meals. Time to socialize or do an activity you enjoy other than singing. Time for sufficient sleep. Time to daydream.


When you’re feeling great you have more energy, you are more productive, and you will be able to create more fully. 

Thriving, you’ll feel you are living a life of abundance and the FOMO will not be a constant presence in your life. 

I hope you find these tips helpful and will help you make the most of 2020. 

If you need help figuring out how to start planning your abundant life and wellness, then be sure to book a Singer’s Wellness Strategy Session and I’d be happy to talk you through it.