JOMO instead of FOMO

We are all chasing something

Think about it. Every day, we are busy thinking ahead. We are thinking about what we will have for dinner, and what else is on our to-do list. Which vacations we want to book. And so on.

The same happens when traveling. We are thinking about the next place to see, places others tell us we should see. Places we haven’t seen yet. When to get up the next day. You can add whatever you usually tend to think about.

The point is: our minds will never stop racing. And that’s a huge problem. We feel unfinished, not enough. And eventually unhappy. This feeling of always missing out, it’s called FOMO (fear of missing out). When traveling, you can start to feel like you are missing out because you haven’t seen this one great place everyone talked about. Or maybe this one activity everyone keeps posting about. If you feel worse about your trip because of that, then you’re in serious FOMO land.

And you know what? In this race of seeing and doing the next thing, chances are very high we will never get to the place of ‘I’ve seen it all’. Actually, almost zero. There are 195 countries on this planet. Even if you managed to see them all (which some awesome people on Instagram did, congrats!), I’m certain you will find new things you wanted to see.

What if you could enjoy your moment, right now?

Good news and bad news. Bad news first: you’ll always miss out on something.

However, the good news: there’s a cure for FOMO. It’s called JOMO. It’s the Joy of missing out. Instead of thinking about the what-ifs, you start to enjoy being in this moment right NOW.

November 2022. I found this beautiful painting in a bathroom of a cozy coffee place in Vietnam, Dalat. Reading this little poem made me change my perspective. So many times, I ignored the most precious thing, the only thing that really mattered. This moment. Now.

This picture in the bathroom of a cute Cafe in Dalat, Vietnam changed me

Fast forward 2 weeks. I’m on this beautiful ship cruising Ha long bay. Waking up at 6 to see the sunrise. Slowly, the sun is rising, the water reflects the sun rays like a beautiful mirror, clear and bright. I’m standing by the rails. Taking a deep breath in. Deep breath out. Taking it all in. And while I’m gazing into the sun, I feel content. Right here, right now.

Nowhere else I’d rather be.

Staying in the present can help you slow down and enjoy moments much more

Obviously, you will always have things going on. Sometimes, you won’t feel like indulging in the now. But sometimes, every once in a while, I try to breathe and take it all in.

The more I practice, the easier it gets.