From FOMO to JOMO
We all have suffered the symptoms of FOMO, aka the Fear of Missing Out:
Checking Facebook and Twitter every half hour to see what's going on and make sure we are not missing out on “something” or checking email at work compulsively, interrupting our task at hand just in case anything “important” is happening.
The problem with this obsession of being “connected” at all times is that it disconnects us from the present moment—instead of being in the here-and-now we are in the there-and-then.
Luckily there is an antidote for FOMO and it’s trending. Say hello to JOMO: the Joy of Missing Out. JOMO is the antithesis to FOMO. It’s letting go of needing to be “in the know” on a 24/7 basis. It’s giving yourself the space to think and experience things without freaking out about what you should be doing instead. It’s unplugging from emails, text, social networks and events in an effort to be with yourself.
And we can all enjoy its benefits. For starters:
- Next time you have dinner with your friends or family, turn off your cell phone and let them know you are doing it to be fully with them.
- Or when you're standing in line for coffee, control the impulse to take it to go; instead imbibe your surroundings and the smell of coffee.
You can catch up later and realize it’s not the end of the world to miss the latest cute cat video. It’s actually an enjoyable thing.
Paco Olavarrieta, Chief Creative Officer
