The idea of FOMO is something most of us are now very familiar with. As people, we’ve always had a propensity to worry about missing exciting events or experiences, but social media has exacerbated these feelings by giving us a front row seat into everyone else’s social lives.
This has resulted in a lot of ‘I wish I was there’ or ‘why can’t I be doing that’. But at this point, FOMO has only really related to one’s personal life – however, experts believe this thinking is now playing a role in the workplace, with disastrous effects on mental health.
According to research conducted by the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Psychology and Medicine, FOMO in the context of the workplace is defined as anxiety about missing out on important information, updates, meetings as well as relationships with co-workers and clients.
“Gone are the days when you could turn off your computer, close the office door and drive home, only to see your emails again the next morning,” says Emma-Jane Truter, Founder and Head Social Media Strategist at Emma Is Social, a Cape Town based social media studio.
“Today, we’re always online,” she adds. “In our cars, on our lunch breaks, at social events and even in bed. And it’s not just our social feeds we are checking, many of us are fielding countless work Whatsapp groups and checking emails, so we can respond immediately. With private time out the window, it’s not at all surprising that more and more people are suffering from burnout.”
The digital workplace
The pandemic didn’t only introduce us to the digital workplace, but it made it a non-negotiable. For two years or more, much of the world worked from home – whether it be from the kitchen table, couch or makeshift office. Thereafter, hybrid arrangements came into play, after which many went back to the office, while others chose a permanent remote working life. No matter the route taken, however, there’s no denying that the advent of the digital workplace not only changed the way we work but changed the way we think about work.
“Digital technologies have fundamentally reshaped the way work happens, and has given us greater flexibility and autonomy,” explains Truter, “but with this has come with an inability to switch off. And then, the more we do, the more work we seem to get and take on, with overloading and high levels of anxiety developing as a result.”
Understanding workplace FOMO
The digital workplace has helped to fuel the fast-paced world of modern work culture that we all encounter every day. Connectivity is constant, information is everywhere, and it seems like we’ve never had so many meetings in our diaries, ever.
“With so much information flowing from one place to another,” says Truter, “many employees are suffering with anxiety relating to missing that important meeting, not checking their Slack message in time or accidently skipping over that email or Whatsapp thread. And this anxiety is fuelled by the fear of missing out on crucial decisions, updates or networking opportunities.”
Off time isn’t actually off-time
Holidays or time off used to be a welcome reprieve from the stresses of the workplace but now with a computer in your pocket (or most likely in your hand), it is increasingly hard for people to unplug, even when they are lying on that breathtaking beach.
“Whether it is self-imposed or as a result of co-workers getting in touch, many people today find themselves unable to ignore their email inbox or mute that work Whatsapp group while on leave,” says Truter. “And all this does is foster a greater sense of exhaustion even when one is supposed to be taking time out, which is a surefire way to find yourself burnt out.”
How workplace FOMO can be combatted
As with everything, this kind of thinking cannot be switched off overnight. Employees and businesses alike need to work together to change this.
“As a start, I’d recommend that employers be stronger in their position on crucial things like confining work to working hours, limiting the amount of communication products used, promoting lunch breaks, reducing the number of meetings held and stressing the importance of unplugging on evenings, weekends and holidays.”
And if it isn’t already a fixture, businesses should institute wellbeing programmes that not only educate employees on the importance of mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace but incentivises them to get involved and take action for their own sake.
“I’ve also found that the inclusion of mental health days in my own business has worked wonders. These days, which can be taken whenever is necessary, give my team the freedom to switch off for a day, free from guilt and the stresses of our daily grind. But these mental health days have, in my opinion, also helped to change my team’s perception a bit, assisting them in seeing that taking one day just for them isn’t going to sink the business, effect a failure or lose a client,” concludes Truter.
