The Anxiety of Not Buying on a Day Like Today When Record Highs Are Broken: How to Deal with FOMO

The Japanese stock market has reached a historic milestone.
The Nikkei Stock Average hit an intraday high of 49,945 yen,
and broke its all-time high for consecutive days on a closing basis.
It was a day that showed powerful momentum, closing in on the psychological barrier of 50,000 yen.

While the market is wrapped in a celebratory mood,
I wonder if many people are feeling the anxiety of not buying somewhere in their hearts.

To be honest, I am one of them.

On days when record highs are broken, the investment community gets noisy, doesn't it?
“I should have bought it after all,” “Is it still in time?”
Such words are floating around everywhere.

Watching the rising chart, saying “I’ll wait for the next dip” but ending up not buying, and before I know it, it’s even higher...

While feeling impatient somewhere in my heart, I pretend to be calm (laughs).

What is “Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)”?

FOMO stands for Fear of Missing Out.
Literally translated, it is “the fear of being left behind.” In other words, it is the psychology of seeing others profiting and feeling like you have to get on board too.

Social media timelines are the perfect device to stimulate FOMO.
“Explosive profits on stock XX,” “It’s still going up” — seeing posts like that,
even if my head says “stay calm,” I get curious.

I have heard that for an investor's brain, the “pain of being left behind” is stronger than the “pain of losing money.”

For example, when you hear that only your friend got on a stock that skyrocketed,
“If only I had bought it too...” that feeling you get.
That is exactly FOMO.

Just recognizing FOMO changes things

What I am conscious of is,
rather than trying to “get rid of” this emotion,
noticing “Oh, this is FOMO” instead.

The moment you notice it, a little bit of “space” is created in your heart.
Just by having that space,
the impatience of “I have to buy right now” can sometimes fade away.

Noticing “myself being impatient.”
Just by doing that, you can step outside the “vortex” of impatience.
Instead of suppressing emotions, first “observe” them.

I feel that just by doing that, the way I see the market changes a little.

My FOMO episode

A few years ago, when a certain growth stock was soaring.
While thinking “it’s probably the ceiling soon,”
I kept staring at the chart on my PC screen.

As a result, I couldn't buy it.
But later, that stock dropped to half its price from there. It happens often.

I want to praise myself for not buying it
back then (laughs).
That day I was able to resist FOMO
became a bigger lesson than any profit.

The “courage to pass” is also a skill

I feel that in investing, there are more situations where the “power to pass” is tested than the power to buy.

The courage to ride the wave is important, but
the calmness to let the wave pass is just as important.

Opportunities are not one-time events.
In fact, many of the things that look like opportunities
might just be illusions created by someone orchestrating a pump-and-dump scheme.

Observing your impatience

Feeling FOMO isn't because you are greedy,
but could it not also be said that it is proof that you are properly engaging with the market?

There is no need to blame yourself for feeling impatient.
What is important is to 'observe' that impatience.

While holding onto the anxiety of not being able to buy,
it is just right to quietly close the chart
and spend your time on things you enjoy.

I believe that within that stillness,
lies the 'emotional maintenance' needed to survive the next market cycle.

Thank you for reading until the end.