The key to happiness lies in JOMO, not FOMO

FOMO or fear of missing out is old news. It is the time for the counter trend of JOMO (joy of missing out). This is hardly surprising given that we are all hyperconnected, burnout is a common occurrence, and people may want to take a step back. JOMO is all about living in the moment and disconnecting consciously.

In 2016, the Collins dictionary included ‘JOMO’ in their words of the year, along with ‘Brexit’ and ‘snowflake generation’.

So, if you are someone who doesn’t like partying, JOMO lets you just be. You can stay at home in your pyjamas and not have to be connected to people all the time. There are benefits to JOMO. For one, you may have more mental space to do what you like instead of going with what your peer group is asking you to do. And it can protect you from feeling burnt out as well. Here’s how you can add JOMO to your life:

Just because you have a smartphone does not mean that you need to be checking for updates all the time. Learn to demarcate certain times when you consciously do nothing. Become someone who takes their time in answering their emails or messages.

There’s no need to feel ashamed about taking a call or to watch something on your laptop instead of going out or working. But be sure about and happy with the decision instead of feeling miserable while doing it. Make sure that when you browse your social media, you check out things that are useful to you in some way. Getting a proper balance will help you save time and feel motivated.

DEMARCATE CERTAIN PERIODS OF THE DAY WHEN YOU CONSCIOUSLY DO NOTHING. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED TO PEOPLE ALL THE TIME

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK JOMO (Joy of missing out) is all about living in the moment