JOMO (Joy of Missing Out)

Oh the joy of missing out. 

When the world begins to shout

And rush towards that shining thing;

The latest bit of mental bling –

Trying to have it, see it, do it,

You simply know you won’t go through it;

The anxious clamouring and need

This restless hungry thing to feed.

Instead, you feel the loveliness;

The pleasure of your emptiness.

You spurn the treasure on the shelf

In favour of your peaceful self;

Without regret, without a doubt.

Oh the joy of missing out

by Michael Leunig

FOMO is making us unhappy

Have you heard of FOMO? If you have tweens or teens, you’ll probably be familiar with the term, but it’s not just our kids who are suffering from fear of missing out.

In our hyperconnected world of instant messaging, a 24-hour news cycle and the constant dings and pings of social media and email notifications it’s becoming harder than ever to switch off from the outside world and focus on what’s right in front of us.

In Psychology Today, Dr Kristen Fuller explains that social media is the perfect example of FOMO, fear of missing out. She says social media is addictive and drives us to keep going back for more, scrolling for hours and refreshing our feeds so we don’t miss out on something.

She says, “Another driver of FOMO is the social pressure to be at the right place with the right people, whether it’s from a sense of duty or just trying to get ahead, we feel obligated to attend certain event for work, for family and for friends.

“This pressure from society combined with the fear of missing out (FOMO) can wear us down and can decrease our happiness. According to a recent survey on LinkedIn, 70 percent of employees admit that when they take a vacation, they don’t disconnect from work. Our digital habits, which include constantly checking messages, emails, and social media timelines, have become so entrenched, it is nearly impossible to simply enjoy the moment, along with the people with whom we are sharing these moments.”

Embrace the joy of missing out

So, what’s the solution? How do we overcome the insidious, time wasting FOMO and tap into what’s happening around us right now, in this very moment?

I think it’s the simple act of embracing the joy of missing out.

Yep, JOMO is the solution for FOMO.

Think about it for a sec. If you switched your phone off for an hour, what would you really be missing? Do you truly care about what’s on your Instagram feed, or has it simply become a habit?

What could you do with that hour instead?

• Read a book
• Take a nap
• Bake a cake with your kids
• Get into nature. Take a walk or go for a swim
• Go to bed an hour earlier and get some precious sleep
• Do nothing! Put your feet up and relax

Because the key to stopping FOMO in its tracks is realising what you gain when you miss out. I guarantee you, when you stop the mindless scrolling, lighten your schedule and truly slow down in your life, you’ll miss out on nothing and gain so much.

How about saying no to that event you really don’t want to go to? How would that feel?

It might be a challenge to say no when you’re so used to saying yes, but the relief you’ll feel when you get to choose what to do with that time instead – that’s totally worth it.

Embracing the joy of missing out is a brilliant way to slow down in your life. Take regular tech breaks, you’ll be amazed how much you recharge when you put the devices away. You’ll be more present and notice what’s going on around you more.

Keep your schedule minimal. Don’t feel obligated to say yes to everything. Guard your time, because it’s precious. Not only will you have more energy, but you’ll also have space to say yes to more of the things you really want to do.

Do you really want to go to that party on Saturday night, or would you rather get up early and go for a family bushwalk on Sunday morning? Saying no to some things, gives you space to say yes to others.

Over to you!

Do you suffer from FOMO? How are you going to embrace the joy of missing out in 2020?

Please comment below and let me know your answer.

Remember to also join me LIVE on Facebook at 11am AEDT Tuesdays, each and every week. I will be asking this question again and giving you the opportunity to nab a gorgeous monthly book GIVEAWAY!

Thank you so much for being here and for adding your perspective. It means the world to me. Please share this post with someone you love, because they might be in need of some slowing fun today too!

Blessings, Hiddy xx

P.S. If you are simply visiting here and not already part of my growing and thriving tribe of slowing AND achieving women worldwide, you can sign up here and grab the ‘Slow Down In My Life Right Now’ freebie to get started slowing AND achieving with me today! 

Even though it feels impossible sometimes, now is a great time to banish busy, ditch your damaging To Do list and slow down. I promise you, it is possible to slow AND achieve more than ever before! Hx