Managing Info Anxiety and FOMO: 4 Simple Steps
The two most important things about consuming information on social media are:
- Avoiding noise.
- Avoiding action driven by anxiety.
Instead of “what’s trending and I must catch up on,” I focus on “what doesn’t matter to me.”
Noise can be more harmful than a lack of information. It pushes people to act, even if it disrupts effective habits.
Like in Inception, once noise is planted in your mind, you can’t predict when it’ll resurface and affect decisions.
In the past two years, the flood of AI-related info has triggered my anxiety. It looked like this:
- Feeling I had to read or fall behind.
- Knowing bits of everything but unable to explain much.
- Spending hours collecting similar content without finishing it.
- Struggling to identify actionable or important info.
Acting out of anxiety often leads to bad results. Whether it’s chasing every news source or jumping into hot trends, it rarely ends well.
To address this, I focus on reducing noise and anxiety. Here’s how:
1. Ask: Why am I gathering this info?
When anxiety hits, I first ask: Am I afraid of missing out, envious, or something else?
Understanding my reasons helps me choose content that benefits me instead of trying to know everything.
2. Build a personal “info filter”
I actively select what info I consume.
When I come across something, I pause to check if it’s true or useful. Over time, this sharpens my sense of quality.
On social media, I unfollow sources that no longer fit my needs. I also train algorithms by engaging only with high-quality content instead of passively taking in whatever shows up.
3. Balance input and output
Absorbing info isn’t enough—producing output deepens learning.
Often, insights form only when I write. Writing clarifies connections between ideas and strengthens understanding.
Output can mean social posts, blogs, or structured notes. The key is to organize thoughts, making them clearer.
It also helps filter noise. Writing for others adds pressure to ensure accuracy, forcing a second check on what’s real or useful.
Many times, I’ve caught misinformation or outdated facts during this stage.
4. Limit info consumption
The simplest way to handle info anxiety is limiting how much you consume daily.
Anxiety often stems from consuming too much. New info forces the brain to process, predict, and analyze, but too much overwhelms it, creating a sense of falling behind.
Since scrolling feels rewarding, info anxiety might actually be a form of “info addiction.”
I’ve tried limiting social media to specific times, like 6–8 PM. Recently, I switched to locking social apps all day with Clarymind.
Before unlocking, I ask myself, “Why do I need this now?” This ensures I’m actively choosing info instead of passively absorbing it.
This approach lets me stay updated without being overwhelmed. The rest of my time goes to what matters most.
I’ve moved from endlessly scrolling to knowing what’s happening without rushing to dive in. And that feels just right.
Originally published in Essential Thinking, this post is translated and shared here with permission.