The State of FOMO in Stock Trading and Investing

Stock trading and investing are not without setbacks, which can ruin your mood and cause depression, but there are situations where even making a profit doesn't save you from disappointment.

Today I want to share with you my thoughts on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) – a condition that literally translates as “fear of missing out.”.

This emotional state is familiar to anyone who has ever regretted missed opportunities while trading on the stock exchange or investing.

I'll tell you how this manifests itself, share my experience and give some advice on how to cope with this condition.

What is FOMO?

FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, is a psychological state where you fear missing out on a potential profit or regret that you could have made much more money on a trade you closed prematurely.

It's often accompanied by anxiety, regret, and even irritation. In investing, this state can lead you to make impulsive decisions: repurchasing an asset at its peak or selling too early.

And I know what I'm talking about, because I recently encountered the same thing - the effect of missing out (FOMO).

My case with Bitget Token

About six months ago, I decided to invest in the Bitget Token (BGB) . The price at the time was $1.16 per token, and I thought, "Why not? Binance's cryptocurrency is worth $700, so why can't Bitget's cryptocurrency at least come close to the price of BNB?"

As a result, I bought 1000 Bitget Tokens for $1160 and patiently held them for over half a year.

However, for a long time, the price not only stagnated, but even fell below $1 per token. When BGB rose to $1.40, the decision was made to take profits; after all, a small profit is better than nothing.

Even after the sale, I was still interested in watching BGB's performance, which had begun to rise again. Imagine my disappointment when the price reached $6.50 per coin, and my lost profits amounted to over $5,000.

The main thoughts were:

• "Why did I sell so early?"
• "If I had waited just a couple of weeks, I could have earned several times more!"
• "Why did I sell everything?"

This moment was a classic case of FOMO. I started to think I'd done something wrong, even though my actions were actually quite logical and well-thought-out.

Why does FOMO occur?

When you see the market continue to rise after you've made a decision to sell, it's easy to get caught up in FOMO. FOMO is a combination of several factors:

• Comparison to others - You look at people who have held onto assets and made big money and start to think you are worse than them.
• Illusion of Control - It seems like you could have predicted growth if you had analyzed a little more or taken more risks.
• Emotional swings - Profits and losses in the market are always associated with strong emotions. Sometimes, these emotions begin to guide your actions rather than your mind.

How to deal with FOMO when investing?

After the BGB incident, I reconsidered my approach to investing in cryptocurrencies and developed a few rules to help keep FOMO under control:

Never sell everything - It wouldn't be so bad if I sold Bitget Token for the amount of money I invested, leaving me with about 200 BGB that I could hold on to for as long as I wanted.

Focus on long-term goals - Remind yourself why you started investing. If your goal is stable capital growth, don't chase quick success. If you're looking for quick profits, it's better to day trade with cryptocurrency brokers and leverage.

Accept that you can't seize every opportunity. That's okay. There will always be "missed" opportunities in the market, but it's important to remember that there are many more to come.

Learn from your decisions - My experience with Bitget Token was a lesson for me. Now I understand that I took my profits in time, and subsequent growth is just part of the game. Especially since the proceeds were reinvested in other, more promising assets.

Fear of missing out is something almost everyone who invests faces. But it's important to remember that the market is always full of opportunities. Missed one? There will be another. The key is to act wisely, follow your strategy , and not let your emotions get the better of you.

My experience with Bitget Token taught me that regretting past decisions doesn't make them wrong. The key is to keep learning, improving your skills, and moving forward, no matter how many years you've been trading.