You’ve likely heard the term FOMO recently. If you haven’t, it stands for Fear of Missing Out. You may also be familiar with FOMO’s cousin, YOLO—You Only Live Once. But FOMO and YOLO have a younger and brighter cousin that you may not be aware of—JOMO. Read on to learn how embracing the Joy of Missing Out can restore a sense of calm and balance in your life.
The idea of feeling like you’re missing out isn’t new, but I had never heard of FOMO until a few years ago. We didn’t have a word for it because it really wasn’t a big problem. So why did FOMO become such a big deal? In my opinion, FOMO appeared on the scene not long after social media invaded our lives.
Ignorance is Bliss
There’s an old saying that ignorance is bliss. When I look at how social media has changed our lives, I have to agree. There are a lot of things I love about social media, but there’s a lot to dislike, too.
Let’s look back in time to the days before social media. It’s not that long ago, really. Facebook changed our online lives forever, but it has only been around since 2004. In human terms, it’s still a teenager.
Before social media, I didn’t get an instant update every time a friend bought a new car, a new outfit, or went out for a fancy meal. I definitely didn’t see pictures of that fabulous vacation my third cousin went on. I never felt insecure seeing glammed-up selfies posted by my friends, and reading all the comments about how beautiful they were. And I’m pretty sure there were LOTS of parties I didn’t get invited to, but I usually didn’t hear about them. Ignorance was definitely bliss.
FOMO, and the pressure to keep up with the Joneses and the Kardashians, emerged as a direct result of being constantly bombarded with the highlight reels of the lives of everyone we know. It’s no wonder anxiety and other mental health issues are at an all-time high.
Most of What We See Online Isn’t Real
What’s really sad is much of what we see on social media is fake or, at the very least, embellished to make things look more wonderful than they are. And many of our social media “friends” are people we’d probably never be in touch with if we didn’t see them online. So, why do we care enough to constantly measure ourselves against them?
It’s time to put FOMO and YOLO in their place. That’s where JOMO comes in.
Step Aside FOMO! Make Room For JOMO!
JOMO stands for the JOY of Missing Out. Yes, that’s right, instead of worrying that you’re missing out on something, JOMO gives you permission to say no. From deliberately stepping away from notifications and social media feeds, to saying no to social invitations, JOMO lets you live in the moment. Choosing JOMO lets you take care of the person who matters most—you!
Embracing JOMO lets you shut out all the noise and enjoy what’s happening right now. It can enhance your appreciation of the beauty of your surroundings, and the people around you, without constant interruptions from smartphone notifications. And it can free up time to do things you like to do—listen to music, read a book, or just get outside and breathe some fresh air.
Ways to Bring JOMO to Your Life
It’s time to take back control of our lives and embrace JOMO. Our mental health depends on it. Here are some things to do.
Practise Gratitude
One of the fundamental things about JOMO is living in the moment and not worrying about what else is going on. There’s no better way to achieve that than being thankful.
A gratitude practice can make a huge difference in your life. If you learn to be truly grateful for what you have, you won’t need to worry about FOMO. Sometimes, it’s as simple as reminding yourself that you have enough and don’t need to constantly chase the next thing.
Spend Less Time Online
If you jump every time your phone buzzes or reach for your device before you even get out of bed in the morning, you may need to reduce your online time. Consider a social media detox for a day, a weekend, or even your week of vacation. If you’re not ready to go cold turkey with social media, put a time limit on the time you spend scrolling through your social media feeds every day.
Turn Off Notifications
You’ll find it easier to reduce your online time if you turn off non-critical notifications on your devices. That means all social media, news feeds, games, and even email. Even better, put your phone on do not disturb. If you’re worried about missing an urgent text from a family member or a call from your child’s school, you can turn on emergency bypass for high-priority contacts, so you’ll still be notified even if your phone is on do not disturb.
Clean Up Your Friends List
If you haven’t cleaned up your friends list for a while, take some time to do that. Keep the people you care about and ditch the rest.
Say No to Things That Don’t Matter…and Let Go of the Guilt
Finally, embracing JOMO is all about knowing what’s important to you and saying no to everything else.
If you’ve been invited to a social event but you’d rather stay home and read a book, just say no. And, above all, don’t feel guilty about saying no. Remember, if you don’t take care of your own needs, who will?
What kinds of things make you suffer from FOMO? Do you think JOMO is the answer? Tell me your thoughts below.
Learn more about me in my bio and on my personal blog at BoomerEcoCrusader.com. You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.