Millennials Are Embracing JOMO And Here’s Why You Should Do It Too
Our digital habits faced a major blow as users found it difficult to access both Facebook and Instagram, leaving us suddenly clueless about what to do with our time. How were people going to know what I ate for dinner? I felt so…disconnected. It was then that it occurred to me- this is becoming a dangerous addiction. This is exactly what FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is. And if you too, felt restless without social media last night, welcome to the club! Honestly, the social downtime felt like a divine intervention that absolutely needed to happen!
Do you have the F-syndrome?
We’re so addicted to social media channels that our lives feel inundated with updates, memes, trolls, etc. Minutes turn into hours, as we browse through the lives of people hundreds of miles away, instead of those around us in flesh and blood. We have FOMO – the Fear Of Missing Out – the constant anxiety that if we don’t let people know what we are doing and find out what they are upto, we will be irrelevant.
We go one step further and dragging this fear into our offline lives as well. Nobody wants to wake up to pictures of their friends having a crazy night out, without them! You find it absolutely necessary to be a part of every get-together in your social cliques even though it is costing you a lot of energy…and umm money. No wonder millennials are sleepy and broke all the time!
Do you want to wake up energised every morning? Do you feel like peopling is taking a toll on you? I know I want to. And hence, I am embracing the intelligent antidote to FOMO — Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO).
JOMO – The cooler kid on the block
2019 is all about slowing down and investing yourself wisely. It is about being present in the moment and feeling content about where you are in life. We don’t compare our lives with those around us and feel no obligation to adhere to the ‘shoulds’ ‘must dos’ of society. It’s money, time and energy saving and is completely free! If you’re thrown off, given that this is a whole new ball game for you, we bring you a guide on how to embrace JOMO in full swing!
Invest your time wisely
We only have 24 hours in a day and investing time in anything that doesn’t make you happy is silly. Which is why, we must declutter our lives using Marie Kondo’s ‘Sparks Joy’ method. A massage? Sparks joy. Meeting a dull acquaintance for coffee. Nope. Cancel, or even better don’t sign up for something that doesn’t make you feel at peace.
Live in the present
Don’t commit every hour of your day to something. Leave space for when you feel like taking a random stroll down the lane, or heading out for a coffee. Let go off of the pressure to always be somewhere, to make the most of it by documenting in pictures and on social media. Make space for spontaneity.
Learn to say ‘NO’
You do not always have to go for that birthday party, a school reunion or even a casual house party. You owe peace to yourself. Want to lie on the couch and catch up on Netflix? Do it. Feel like stuffing yourself with carbs and wine and passing out in the comfort of your own bed? That’s fine. Say no to anything that feels like undue pressure.
Go offline
The best thing about JOMO is that it encourages you to experience real life instead of living in a virtual world. Detach yourself from emails, texts and social notifications. Cut down your phone usage by setting app timers and activating the DND mode. It will really open your eyes and help you track your improvement.
Take the slow lane
If FOMO has been making you hustle and rush through every moment in life, maybe it’s time to slow down. Give yourself the chance to be lost in thoughts. Do things you love, at the pace that’s comfortable to you. No matter how hard you try, it’s inevitable that something or the other will be left undone. So you might as well enjoy the moment you are in without an alarm clock pushing you to run.
