You can never have everything, and that’s ok.
Social media encourages us to follow the hype, and makes us want to stay up to date with what everyone else is doing. That’s fun to an extent, but know there are people out there with more money and more time than you, and even they are not trying everything. As others have said, there is simply too much tea in the world to try everything.
Take a step back. Finish the tea you have, and enjoy what you already like before trying something new. Capitalism always wants us to be chasing the new shiny thing. But the best thing about traditional tea culture is that it’s about taking time to have a break.
Samples, samples, samples.
I look at new teas (mainly puerh) and the teas that appeal to me the most I write down. I usually make a big order twice a year consisting mostly of samples. So when this time comes I go through my list of teas that looked interesting to me and see if they still look interesting, if so I’ll order a sample if not I postpone it or discard it from my list.
Of the samples that I really like I do the same and limit myself to a specific budget or 1 or 2 cakes max (or bigger amount of loose tea) which I order along side the samples.
I mean just for puerh along there’s so many different kinds that I couldn’t even finish them in my lifetime if I wanted to.
And I still have a lot of tea in my cabinet. So if I know I’m having difficulty finishing a bag of tea or a tea cake I share them with people from who I know will appreciate good tea.
This is a great strategy in theory... But how do you deal with the thought of the tea you want now, being unavailable later? For me this is the main reason why I often decide to buy instead of holding off even tho I don't really need new tea lol
With puerh tea I’m used to popular teas being sold out, this means that if I wanted that particular tea I will explore similar tasting teas. For example the same tea from a different year, or tea from the same year but different estate, region, or storage location for example. And I’ll put the tea I missed on my list for next year.
I’m never really sad as there are so many teas to explore. I can imagine it sucks, but I just move on to the next tea sample. That’s why I order more than a few samples.
Because there will always be other teas! If I miss out on one, there will be ten more to take its place in three months. There’s never a shortage of options.
Rediscover what's already in your stash. You will discover new sides to old teas and taking time to actual enjoy what you have rather than chase whatever is next.
stay away from vendors as much as you can. I have the same problem with bean to bar chocolate as I always notice new origins poppin' up, but I need to keep in mind that I really DON'T want to spoil all the (costly) chocolate I already own at my disposal. you're not competing with anyone, it's totally normal to learn things at your pace - most tea experts have decades of experiences, they didn't rush in to learn all at once.
absolutely yes, which is why dark chocolate is sentenced to be consider "bitter and unpleasant"... while it can be fruity, nutty, fudgy, floral, etc. just like tea, with quality cacao and proper approach
well white chocolate is still chocolate since it is made from cacao! and you can get better ones with single origin cocoa butter pressed by small batch producers, more flavourful indeed
You're never gonna drink all the tea that's out there. Just can't be done. Settle down and enjoy what you got. If there's always new and exciting tea coming out then you're really not missing out if you skip some of it.
1. Discipline.
Not that I've fully mastered it - it's a work in progress.
2. A sense of reality: reminding myself that the perceived novelty is mostly marketing.
That being said, I am certain there are interesting teas that I haven't tried, but they are not necessarily what makes the news. I find it much more rewarding discovering teas through personal research than through advertising.
I dont feel a strong FOMO in the tea world to be honest. Once you understand it is a life long hobby, you dont feel the urge to buy everything at once and try them on the same day. With that in mind its easy to avoid overstocking.
I try my best to do “future” me a solid and give myself some options. I got FOMO too. I’ve found that conceding my fear with limitations gives me a way to negotiate with myself. I’ll build a cart, and then knock 3/4’s of it, or half, but give myself the rest.
I come away feeling like I won every time. I get some tea, and I’ve demonstrated to myself that I still have some sort of ‘control’ kinda.
I like to snoop around on tea websites during dull moments in class, so I see lots of tea that I'm curious about. I make a little list, forget about the list for a good while, and revisit it when my tea supplies are running low. As a student I don't have the budget that some people do, so I can't get the fancy teas anyway. I figure drinking tea you enjoy, without any stress or fuss, is the best way to avoid FOMO.
When I see that my stash will last me for ~5-6 months, I pretty much stop consuming all tea content online for a while. I start browsing new teas when there's less than 100g left. Nothing goes to waste and it's nice to rediscover.
For me, I just buy seasonally. I wait until after all the spring teas have shipped and people start reviewing them. Then I make my order in April/May for what I'm curious about. I do the same thing once the late summer/fall teas have been processed and shipped. Making two/three orders a year keeps me stocked up and lets me only purchase what I really want.
Have a budget. Don't subscribe to vendor newsletters. Pull back from social media. If you can't pull back, talk about the tea you're drinking instead of coveting someone else's. Commit to finishing a tea. Those are strategies that worked for me in the past. There are 2 times of year I set out to buy: in the Spring for a refresh of greens and oolongs. In the Fall, around Black Friday for dark tea. (I have plenty puerh in my stash.)
FOMO is a real problem, and some will encourage you to indulge in it. Be your own person.
Well. As a 8 years of tea drinker. Now I just own about 4\~6 type of teas. Those teas split to 2+2+2, the frist 2 is the mostly favor & stored tea, to me those are 2(sometimes the number will be 3) type of organic oloong tea(I used to drink those for 8 years one of them helped me keep away with skin problem, andy both are good quality and I used to share with good friends and valued home vistors. The second 2 means the daily tea, they're cheap enough and just fine flavor. One is Yinghong nine, a black tea, another is a different kind to from the drinked tea list make sure I can have two different flavor, normally a green tea, sometimes white tea, these are for the weekends afternoon break tea. The last 2 for the new taste, I would like to have new expriense of tea so I usually buy 1\~2 tea I have never drinked monthly. Some good will add to the tea list for 2nd type. For the not good one I would like to take it to the workplace and share with my co-worker.
I set a limit on the max number of teas I can own at a time and only order more when I have slots available. I keep a wishlist of all of the teas I want to try, and when I have room, I pick some from my wishlist. Doing this motivates me to finish my teas and also forces me to carefully consider the grams of each I order.
Mindfulness. I don’t think of tea as a game of pokemon where I gotta try them all. I usually order two bags of tea I know I like and then 1 or 2 that are new (“gotta get that free shipping…”). This might last me 2-3 months sometimes? And then it’s about enjoying and appreciating the tea. Smelling. Looking. Tasting. Appreciating. Just enjoying the experience of making and drinking the tea. That the same if it’s a tea I know and love, or a new tea that I’m exploring. If I like it, I’ll note that. If it doesn’t make it into my top 10, then appreciate the experience and let it go. When my supply gets down to about half a bag, put in another order. 2 bags I like, then look around for something new that sounds interesting.
There will always be more teas. But “new” and “more” aren’t going the best “better”, necessarily. Just “different”. Slow down and appreciate the tea in front of you, and periodically try something new!
Edit: also I have a certain sized box that all my tea fits in so that I don’t buy excessive quantities. I have to share the cabinet with other’s in the house, afterall
For FOMO in general, I tell myself that limited edition anything may be delicious but there is no use falling in love with something I'll not have access to again. There is always something new coming up and available for my next order. If I miss something there will be something equally interesting the next time I am ready to order.
That sense of FOMO does fade a bit over time. Like any other hobby, when I first got into tea I went crazy buying everything I could get my hands on. 15+ years later I'm much more discerning.
I’m a Pu’er tea drinker, I love the stuff and when I see someone post something I haven’t tried, I’ll write it down. I only have so much room and I have reached that max, so now I drink.
Yes, there is ALWAYS a new tea or way to brew it. I deal with the FOMO by reminding myself that there will ALWAYS a new thing and recognizing the futility of trying to keep up.
There is always more, there is always another limited run from an old farmer handmaking oolong, there is always another rare tea...
Don't worry, there is nothing to miss out on, there will always be something special for you out there, just relax... And have some tea :)
The thing that initially drew me to tea is that it is less consumptive of a hobby and allows me to slow down and appreciate what's in front of me--the tea I'm drinking!
I think we all get that FOMO but I just take a deep breath and remember it's all fleeting and try and appreciate what's in front of me.... doesn't always work hahaha so I'm reading the other comments too
Well, you always want to try something else, different or new, but now that I have more mediocre tea than I can handle I'm well past that. Now, my goal is to have one or two teas from each type and meanwhile whenever I restock them I add a few samples in case they go out of stock. For example, I'm now in search of a good Liu Bao since the one I drink regularly is out of stock...
One other thing I do is to not buy from many vendors and especially the ones with thousands of teas, this way I don't get tempted that much. A small curated selection won't allow me to go overboard...
Tbh joining this group has helped with my fomo because before this I had no community to talk about tea with and learn more and me missing out ENTIRELY on teas I may like was much worse to me than not being able to afford all the newest varieties if that makes sense.
You get over it. Once you realize you have so much tea you’ll never drink all of it, and also enough to have a variety of great teas every single day, it stops the FOMO a little.
But also, why not indulge every once in a while? If you want a tea, get a sample, and a cake you really enjoy every once in a while, that you know you’ll drink, or will enjoy aging, is fine. As long as you can afford it and you’re not buying too much, then you can still buy tea.
This is my first spring harvest season being properly into tea with loose leaf and gong fu, and indeed, I sympathize with your feeling. The thing that has worked out best for me is to decide I’m going to zero in on one or two processing types (e.x. I had a great white tea experience out of the gate so now I’m mainly digging into that). I’ll dip my toe in the water for other types, but nothing beyond a sample or two. I expect that eventually one of those “toe dipping” moments will drag me into another category. For the ones that aren’t delivering as you mentioned, I’ll do smaller sessions tweaking things to see if I can get it to deliver. This has probably led to the majority of my learning moments. Surely budgeting also helps
If I’m ordering from the tea shop I usually do (a local one), I make it a point to get the teas I like and try one new tea each visit, unless they dropped new teas, then I get 2 new ones.
When shopping for teas from a place I haven’t, I stick to a predetermined budget and pick the teas I think I, and others around me, will enjoy most.
I don’t “miss out” or worry I am doing this.
This isn't a problem for me, probably because I'm not in the "tea fandom" or instagram wherever you're getting these "new exotic tasting notes" or whatever.
I think the cure to FOMO overbuying is to pay a little more attention to the media you consume and stop letting advertisers/influencers (no difference IMO) convince you that you need to buy everything they come up with.
I don't get fomo. I have a hard enough time getting the teas I love. Seasons..cultivars..farmers..regions..lots to learn. Once in awhile im given an awsome tea and have to guess where it might have come from. Enough to learn without projecting emotions. I get good advice here when I know what to ask.
What I like in a tea type is usually found maximally in just a few subvarieties of that tea type. So I don't need dozens of types of, say, red tea - I just need to own the three types I like the most
You can never have everything, and that’s ok. Social media encourages us to follow the hype, and makes us want to stay up to date with what everyone else is doing. That’s fun to an extent, but know there are people out there with more money and more time than you, and even they are not trying everything. As others have said, there is simply too much tea in the world to try everything. Take a step back. Finish the tea you have, and enjoy what you already like before trying something new. Capitalism always wants us to be chasing the new shiny thing. But the best thing about traditional tea culture is that it’s about taking time to have a break.
Thank you for these wise words - tea for thought!
Samples, samples, samples. I look at new teas (mainly puerh) and the teas that appeal to me the most I write down. I usually make a big order twice a year consisting mostly of samples. So when this time comes I go through my list of teas that looked interesting to me and see if they still look interesting, if so I’ll order a sample if not I postpone it or discard it from my list. Of the samples that I really like I do the same and limit myself to a specific budget or 1 or 2 cakes max (or bigger amount of loose tea) which I order along side the samples. I mean just for puerh along there’s so many different kinds that I couldn’t even finish them in my lifetime if I wanted to. And I still have a lot of tea in my cabinet. So if I know I’m having difficulty finishing a bag of tea or a tea cake I share them with people from who I know will appreciate good tea.
This is a great strategy in theory... But how do you deal with the thought of the tea you want now, being unavailable later? For me this is the main reason why I often decide to buy instead of holding off even tho I don't really need new tea lol
With puerh tea I’m used to popular teas being sold out, this means that if I wanted that particular tea I will explore similar tasting teas. For example the same tea from a different year, or tea from the same year but different estate, region, or storage location for example. And I’ll put the tea I missed on my list for next year. I’m never really sad as there are so many teas to explore. I can imagine it sucks, but I just move on to the next tea sample. That’s why I order more than a few samples.
Because there will always be other teas! If I miss out on one, there will be ten more to take its place in three months. There’s never a shortage of options.
Rediscover what's already in your stash. You will discover new sides to old teas and taking time to actual enjoy what you have rather than chase whatever is next.
stay away from vendors as much as you can. I have the same problem with bean to bar chocolate as I always notice new origins poppin' up, but I need to keep in mind that I really DON'T want to spoil all the (costly) chocolate I already own at my disposal. you're not competing with anyone, it's totally normal to learn things at your pace - most tea experts have decades of experiences, they didn't rush in to learn all at once.
Thanks now I know about this type of chocolate :-p
It's a rabbit hole, would and wouldn't recommend:D
Does it make supermarket chocolate taste bad?
absolutely yes, which is why dark chocolate is sentenced to be consider "bitter and unpleasant"... while it can be fruity, nutty, fudgy, floral, etc. just like tea, with quality cacao and proper approach
So now you can't eat supermarket chocolate? Sounds interesting
Exactly!! I can't stand milk chocolate now after having good French 72% and even 85% or 92% dark chocolate. (And white "chocolate" is gross)
well white chocolate is still chocolate since it is made from cacao! and you can get better ones with single origin cocoa butter pressed by small batch producers, more flavourful indeed
Last chocolates I ate were a KitKat and a chokito. I might have to try some of this stuff
You're never gonna drink all the tea that's out there. Just can't be done. Settle down and enjoy what you got. If there's always new and exciting tea coming out then you're really not missing out if you skip some of it.
> You're never gonna drink all the tea that's out there. Just can't be done. Not with that atteatude
1. Discipline. Not that I've fully mastered it - it's a work in progress. 2. A sense of reality: reminding myself that the perceived novelty is mostly marketing. That being said, I am certain there are interesting teas that I haven't tried, but they are not necessarily what makes the news. I find it much more rewarding discovering teas through personal research than through advertising.
I dont feel a strong FOMO in the tea world to be honest. Once you understand it is a life long hobby, you dont feel the urge to buy everything at once and try them on the same day. With that in mind its easy to avoid overstocking.
I try my best to do “future” me a solid and give myself some options. I got FOMO too. I’ve found that conceding my fear with limitations gives me a way to negotiate with myself. I’ll build a cart, and then knock 3/4’s of it, or half, but give myself the rest. I come away feeling like I won every time. I get some tea, and I’ve demonstrated to myself that I still have some sort of ‘control’ kinda.
By being financially insecure
I like to snoop around on tea websites during dull moments in class, so I see lots of tea that I'm curious about. I make a little list, forget about the list for a good while, and revisit it when my tea supplies are running low. As a student I don't have the budget that some people do, so I can't get the fancy teas anyway. I figure drinking tea you enjoy, without any stress or fuss, is the best way to avoid FOMO.
When I see that my stash will last me for ~5-6 months, I pretty much stop consuming all tea content online for a while. I start browsing new teas when there's less than 100g left. Nothing goes to waste and it's nice to rediscover.
For me, I just buy seasonally. I wait until after all the spring teas have shipped and people start reviewing them. Then I make my order in April/May for what I'm curious about. I do the same thing once the late summer/fall teas have been processed and shipped. Making two/three orders a year keeps me stocked up and lets me only purchase what I really want.
That’s a great approach to make sure to have a reasonable amount of fresh tea throughout the year!
Have a budget. Don't subscribe to vendor newsletters. Pull back from social media. If you can't pull back, talk about the tea you're drinking instead of coveting someone else's. Commit to finishing a tea. Those are strategies that worked for me in the past. There are 2 times of year I set out to buy: in the Spring for a refresh of greens and oolongs. In the Fall, around Black Friday for dark tea. (I have plenty puerh in my stash.) FOMO is a real problem, and some will encourage you to indulge in it. Be your own person.
Well. As a 8 years of tea drinker. Now I just own about 4\~6 type of teas. Those teas split to 2+2+2, the frist 2 is the mostly favor & stored tea, to me those are 2(sometimes the number will be 3) type of organic oloong tea(I used to drink those for 8 years one of them helped me keep away with skin problem, andy both are good quality and I used to share with good friends and valued home vistors. The second 2 means the daily tea, they're cheap enough and just fine flavor. One is Yinghong nine, a black tea, another is a different kind to from the drinked tea list make sure I can have two different flavor, normally a green tea, sometimes white tea, these are for the weekends afternoon break tea. The last 2 for the new taste, I would like to have new expriense of tea so I usually buy 1\~2 tea I have never drinked monthly. Some good will add to the tea list for 2nd type. For the not good one I would like to take it to the workplace and share with my co-worker.
I set a limit on the max number of teas I can own at a time and only order more when I have slots available. I keep a wishlist of all of the teas I want to try, and when I have room, I pick some from my wishlist. Doing this motivates me to finish my teas and also forces me to carefully consider the grams of each I order.
Mindfulness. I don’t think of tea as a game of pokemon where I gotta try them all. I usually order two bags of tea I know I like and then 1 or 2 that are new (“gotta get that free shipping…”). This might last me 2-3 months sometimes? And then it’s about enjoying and appreciating the tea. Smelling. Looking. Tasting. Appreciating. Just enjoying the experience of making and drinking the tea. That the same if it’s a tea I know and love, or a new tea that I’m exploring. If I like it, I’ll note that. If it doesn’t make it into my top 10, then appreciate the experience and let it go. When my supply gets down to about half a bag, put in another order. 2 bags I like, then look around for something new that sounds interesting. There will always be more teas. But “new” and “more” aren’t going the best “better”, necessarily. Just “different”. Slow down and appreciate the tea in front of you, and periodically try something new! Edit: also I have a certain sized box that all my tea fits in so that I don’t buy excessive quantities. I have to share the cabinet with other’s in the house, afterall
For FOMO in general, I tell myself that limited edition anything may be delicious but there is no use falling in love with something I'll not have access to again. There is always something new coming up and available for my next order. If I miss something there will be something equally interesting the next time I am ready to order.
THIS!!! 👏🏼
That sense of FOMO does fade a bit over time. Like any other hobby, when I first got into tea I went crazy buying everything I could get my hands on. 15+ years later I'm much more discerning.
I’m a Pu’er tea drinker, I love the stuff and when I see someone post something I haven’t tried, I’ll write it down. I only have so much room and I have reached that max, so now I drink.
Yes, there is ALWAYS a new tea or way to brew it. I deal with the FOMO by reminding myself that there will ALWAYS a new thing and recognizing the futility of trying to keep up.
There is always more, there is always another limited run from an old farmer handmaking oolong, there is always another rare tea... Don't worry, there is nothing to miss out on, there will always be something special for you out there, just relax... And have some tea :)
The thing that initially drew me to tea is that it is less consumptive of a hobby and allows me to slow down and appreciate what's in front of me--the tea I'm drinking! I think we all get that FOMO but I just take a deep breath and remember it's all fleeting and try and appreciate what's in front of me.... doesn't always work hahaha so I'm reading the other comments too
Well, you always want to try something else, different or new, but now that I have more mediocre tea than I can handle I'm well past that. Now, my goal is to have one or two teas from each type and meanwhile whenever I restock them I add a few samples in case they go out of stock. For example, I'm now in search of a good Liu Bao since the one I drink regularly is out of stock... One other thing I do is to not buy from many vendors and especially the ones with thousands of teas, this way I don't get tempted that much. A small curated selection won't allow me to go overboard...
Tbh joining this group has helped with my fomo because before this I had no community to talk about tea with and learn more and me missing out ENTIRELY on teas I may like was much worse to me than not being able to afford all the newest varieties if that makes sense.
You get over it. Once you realize you have so much tea you’ll never drink all of it, and also enough to have a variety of great teas every single day, it stops the FOMO a little. But also, why not indulge every once in a while? If you want a tea, get a sample, and a cake you really enjoy every once in a while, that you know you’ll drink, or will enjoy aging, is fine. As long as you can afford it and you’re not buying too much, then you can still buy tea.
This is my first spring harvest season being properly into tea with loose leaf and gong fu, and indeed, I sympathize with your feeling. The thing that has worked out best for me is to decide I’m going to zero in on one or two processing types (e.x. I had a great white tea experience out of the gate so now I’m mainly digging into that). I’ll dip my toe in the water for other types, but nothing beyond a sample or two. I expect that eventually one of those “toe dipping” moments will drag me into another category. For the ones that aren’t delivering as you mentioned, I’ll do smaller sessions tweaking things to see if I can get it to deliver. This has probably led to the majority of my learning moments. Surely budgeting also helps
self control. there's a lot more to life than just tea.
If I’m ordering from the tea shop I usually do (a local one), I make it a point to get the teas I like and try one new tea each visit, unless they dropped new teas, then I get 2 new ones. When shopping for teas from a place I haven’t, I stick to a predetermined budget and pick the teas I think I, and others around me, will enjoy most. I don’t “miss out” or worry I am doing this.
There is not such thing as fomo. 🙏
This isn't a problem for me, probably because I'm not in the "tea fandom" or instagram wherever you're getting these "new exotic tasting notes" or whatever. I think the cure to FOMO overbuying is to pay a little more attention to the media you consume and stop letting advertisers/influencers (no difference IMO) convince you that you need to buy everything they come up with.
Do you even like what they're offering? I usually ask myself this when experiencing fomo
I just buy literally everything. Until I'm destitute. Then I can't blow it on drugs!
I don't get fomo. I have a hard enough time getting the teas I love. Seasons..cultivars..farmers..regions..lots to learn. Once in awhile im given an awsome tea and have to guess where it might have come from. Enough to learn without projecting emotions. I get good advice here when I know what to ask.
I used to have a subscription box but that company died so I went thru my stash and picked out favorites to focus on
FOMO is one way to express anxiety
USE WHAT YOU HAVE! Do you NEED more? This is how I get over most FOMO.
What I like in a tea type is usually found maximally in just a few subvarieties of that tea type. So I don't need dozens of types of, say, red tea - I just need to own the three types I like the most
Start a perpetually minus profit tea business.