Trading in My FOMO to Find My Inner JOMO

I don’t know about you, but I suffered from the Fear of Missing Out before it was the acronym FOMO. I would have been a mess as a teen if I had access to social media. I worried a lot about whether my friends were hanging out without me and having instant proof of it would have only made it that much worse.

I still struggle with FOMO today, although it’s different now that I’m a mom. Now, I feel like if I don’t check my social media sites every day, I’m missing out on all the things I should be doing to be a better mom — reading books, taking advantage of educational opportunities, trying adventurous activities, going on fun date nights, preparing healthy and easy meals, planning to-die-for vacations. The list goes on and on. And sometimes it can feel like you are missing out on — and unable to keep up with — all the exciting and impressive things other people are doing.

It sucks you in. It makes you want to keep coming back to see what else you can’t miss, which keeps us glued to our devices even more.

In my desire to cut back on screen time for myself and my family, I recently attended a Sequoia Union Parent Education Series presentation where they showed the short film, LIKE, which talks all about social media and its impact on our teens and young adults.

There was a lot I took away from that film, and what stuck with me most was a comment made by a former Facebook employee. She mentioned an eye-opening transition in her virtual life, where she went from FOMO to JOMO.

JOMO.

The Joy Of Missing Out.

To embrace JOMO is to shift your entire perspective. Her message is to stop FEARING what you are missing and be JOYFUL to have missed it instead.

By stepping away from the screen, I am putting down all the reminders of how I am inadequate or not a good enough mom or don’t throw the most Pinterest-worthy birthday parties. I am stepping away from hours of scrolling through posts that deep down I don’t really care about but feel like I have to see just in case I miss out on something “good” or “trending.”

Instead, I am (literally) picking up my head and enjoying what’s going on right in front of me. I relish the fact that I am missing out on whatever’s going on in social media, because it doesn’t really matter, and it’s often not even real.

What’s real is happening right in front of me, and I fear if I don’t pay attention to it and find JOY in it, then I will regret it down the road.

Recently, my early-rising daughter and I have been watching the stunning, colorful sunrises together in the quiet of the early morning. It’s a special moment the two of us share, and so much more valuable than the 15 minutes I used to spend on my phone before straggling out of bed to fix breakfast.

Now I’m constantly looking for new ways to trade in FOMO for JOMO. It’s everywhere, and it’s so refreshing.