I recently came across an article on 12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People, and I found it fascinating that many were not what I expected after reading the headline. Yes, there was the predictable advice of “get up early,” “get ready for the rest of the week,” and “keep up the momentum,” but a surprising number advocated making time for meditation, unplugging, and making time for fun. But what struck me as most useful was Randi Zuckerberg’s advice. Randi is the founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media (and, yes, she is the sister of Facebook’s creator), so her advice to “forget FOMO and embrace JOMO” was rather unexpected.
FOMO or “Fear of Missing Out” has been classified as an emerging psychological disorder. Have you ever skimmed your Facebook newsfeed and felt that your friends seem to lead far more exciting lives than you do? Do things you see scrolling by sometimes annoy the heck out of you? This mix of inadequacy, anxiety and irritation can make us feel left out and alone – and that’s the dark flip side of the wonderful sense of connection we can get from these same social media sites.
Good bye, FOMO – Hello, JOMO!
However, there appears to be a new movement to counteract FOMO. Urban Dictionary defines JOMO, or “Joy of Missing Out,” as “You’re enjoying what you’re doing in the here and now and not on social media broadcasting or seeing what everybody else is doing.” I think that’s a condition we should all embrace, don’t you?
JOMO is all about taking care of yourself. It’s not about doing what you think you should be doing, or what’s trendy, or what will result in an exciting Facebook status update. It’s about making time for reflection, solitude and connecting with what really matters.
And who better than our cats to help us embrace JOMO? Fundamentally, JOMO is about living in the moment, and aren’t our cats masters at that? I can’t think of a better way to practice JOMO than spending a Sunday afternoon snuggling with Allegra and Ruby, perhaps with a good book and a favorite beverage. I think cats are all about JOMO.
Are you a victim of FOMO? Could you use a little more JOMO in your life?
Wonderful post. I have had to do some unplugging myself lately.
Oh Ingrid, another perfectly timed message. I’ve been struggling with this AND a bought of vertigo. Sitting in front of a computer while spinning is not a lot of fun. ha If you need me….I’ll be embracing the JOMO
Oh no, I’m so sorry, Toni! Feel better!
Cats are experts at enjoying life and knowing what is important.
If I don’t unplug, I don’t create, that is incentive and reward enough for me. Life has always gone on without us while we live our own lives and until we rejoin the flow, but it’s never been so obvious to us as seeing it actually go by in FB’s newsfeed.
You are absolutely right, Bernadette. Other people always lived their lives just fine without us knowing everything they did, it’s just that prior to social media, we just didn’t worry about it!