JOMO

By Aparna Mele

Sometimes wellness looks like the art of JOMO (joy of missing out). JOMO is the joy of missing out on the things that drain our lives like toxic hustle, societal comparison, and digital drain. Many of us are always on the go—if not physically, at least mentally and emotionally, we are always “on.”  Today, not a day passes without a new study revealing the true costs of our screen obsession: unprecedented global loneliness, burn-out, and mental distress. Why? Because, while data informs us, relationships FORM us. It turns out we need more than information to find meaning. JOMO is gaining momentum as a conscious choice to disconnect and experience life offline. What we regret most at the end of our lives aren’t the missed tweets or fancy job titles. It remains the deeper things — missed opportunities to love, to explore our curiosities, and to spend our time well with those we love. Of course, you can’t always control your packed schedule, but try inserting some time for stillness.  We are all going to live with technology for the rest of our lives, but we get to decide how.  It is time we choose joy over fear, empowerment over anxiety, and JOMO over FOMO (fear of missing out).

Here are a few other examples that may bring some joy into your routine:

• A monthly massage
• A day of the week when you enjoy a nice hot bath
• A monthly treat-yourself day
• One day a week when you light some candles and just rest, not doing anything in your room
• Trying a new type of tea each week
• Reading that book you have been wanting to read but have been putting off
• Use nature as a meditation. Take in the forest or green space with all of your senses.
• Watching a nature documentary. Even pictures of nature can be calming.
• Schedule solitude every day.  Author Charles Bukowski once wrote that “isolation is a gift.”The creative and reflective power that comes from solitude is worth the break from social media and group outings. While spending time with your friends and family is meaningful too, it’s equally important to remember that spending time with yourself can be just as joyous.
• Unplug throughout the day. You can’t reap the benefits of solitude if your phone is notifying you of every new email, or text, or snap. Similarly, sitting quietly doesn’t mean silently scrolling through your Twitter feed. Try to remove that stimulation for a few minutes, hours, or even a whole day at a time—whether it’s leaving your phone in another room or turning it off completely—so that you can really focus and reflect on your own.

The best thing about JOMO may be that it is not based in nostalgia, wishing for a bygone era when these technology tools did not exist. It is saying that this just is not the only way these things have to exist.  So try being human again and celebrate community, the planet, abundance, gratitude, freedom, integrity, playfulness and joy. Add JOMO into your life!