It stands for The Joy of Missing Out, and is a counterpoint to the FOMO lifestyle. Confused? Read on…

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives“ -Annie DillardDoes the thought scare you?
Or, does it make you happy?If it makes you happy, you are a rare breed ­ you have opted out of the killer rat race and live a stress-free life. You have decided that it’s better to miss out on a few things to enjoy life to the fullest. In short, you have embraced the JOMO lifestyle. You have under stood the importance of the Joy of Missing Out.

SWITCH OFF, TUNE OUT

The term was coined by US blogger and tech entrepreneur Anil Dash, who made a choice to cut down socialising. Spending time with his son at home gave him far more happiness and peace. Dash urges people to step off the hedonistic treadmill and think about what really makes them happy. The `quarter life crisis’ generation, running against time, is already fatigued. Does it really matter if one doesn’t get that coveted invite to the `It’ party’ in town, didn’t make an ultra-chic fashion statement, or had that exotic dish in that trendy restaurant? Dash says, “We are all over-worked, over-fed, over-exhausted and suffer from social media fatigue. Missing out may be the only way to step into the life that actually gives us happiness.“

Christina Crook, author of Joy of Missing Out, went on an internet fast ­ she gave up social media for 31 days to experience a fuller life. At the end of the fast, she experi enced emotions that are hard to come by these days ­ relief and joy. She felt closer to people around her, developed new habits, like writing poetry. She says, “Following the herd blindly never results in satisfaction. We find joy and meaning in intentionally choosing our path, and walking forward confidently. If we are choosing to go online because we are motivated by the fear of missing out, we will never be able to stop.“

But how does one understand what to opt out of at a time when one is sinking into everyday rapids -parties, friends, eating out, social media posts etc. -with no life-jacket on? Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, says edit your life as you would edit your wardrobe. “We need to be selective. If it’s not a definite `yes’, it’s a `no’.“

THE DANES KNOW BEST

One of the key spirits of the Danish culture is `hygge’ (coziness). It refers to creating a warm atmos phere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.

Hygge also means making ordi nary, everyday things more beauti ful or meaningful.

Sarah Wilson, author of Simpli cious, says, “Missing out enables you to take control of your wellbeing. It makes an active statement to the world that you are self contained. In the past, our wellbeing was managed by boundaries set by societal norms. We had delineated weekends and set work hours that ended at 5 or-6 pm. The challenge now is to set your own boundaries. The haves and have-nots of happiness are going to be defined by those who can set their own boundaries, and are capable of saying `no’ to external stimulus.“

JOMO > FOMO

Author and blogger Liene Stevens says, “The fear of missing out drives us to say `yes’ to all our urges and impulses. There are so many oppor tunities to yes in today’s world.

However, what one must under stand is that JOMO isn’t about sit ting back and letting life pass you by ­ it’s about missing out on things that may not be the best fit for your own happiness and goals, so that you have the time, energy, and re sources to say `yes’ to the things that truly bring you joy.“

by : Nona Walia

The Times of India (Delhi)