FOMO has become one of the most popular and trendy phrases over the last few years.
We’ve all experienced it at one time or another, and it can be gut-wrenching. But why does FOMO exist?
What I’ve realized is that when the vibration of FOMO is strong, it means I am not connected to my inner self or my spiritual practice. FOMO, in a way, is handing over the keys to someone else and giving them permission to drive the car of our mind.
FOMO is rooted in a lack mentality, so the medicine for FOMO can be gratitude and anchoring in contentment. FOMO, to me, is also planted in the soil of feeling inauthentic. Experiencing FOMO can feel like a constant aching in the stomach because we feel like we are not in alignment.
The good news? There are practices and rituals that can help us gracefully exit the vibration of FOMO and enter into JOMO: the Joy of Missing Out. We can make the mental and physical switch to help us find joy in embracing our true path.
Let’s release the grip that FOMO, the fear of missing out, has on our minds, and align with what nourishes us on a deeper soul level. Instead, we can find the peace and joy that comes along with saying no to things. It’s a practice of listening to our intuition and knowing when to say yes, and when to say no.
Society has placed intense expectations on us, foisting over-productivity, entrepreneurship, and competition from every angle. Trying to meet all of these expectations can snowball into a sense that nothing we do is “enough.”
It seems as though there is a never-ending cycle of one-upping ourselves, which can become exhausting, emotionally and physically.
Become mindful to embrace our journey:
Within the teachings of mindfulness and Buddhism, we learn that happiness and santosha (contentment) come from within. There is no outside material item, person, or experience that can fulfill a task as grand as our own happiness.
So when there is an energetic need to feel soothed, it can be a clear sign that our inner desires and interests are being ignored.
Having attachments is a common human experience, and it’s easy to get lost in the past or the (even more daunting) future. Comparing ourselves to others and expecting certain outcomes is the thief of joy, but it’s possible to become more conscious of this greedy seed of FOMO.
In doing so, rather than being fearful of missing out, we can find joy in the things we already have a passion for. JOMO is what happens when we align with what brings us true happiness. Think of it as getting “back to basics.”
Find more gratitude:
Our fear of missing out comes from feeling a lack of gratitude, and it shows up when we seek out experiences, people, or emotions to fill a void. To wash away our FOMO, we should add healthy doses of gratitude: tune in, become more aware of what is around us and who we’re with, and begin to move out of the “what if” state and toward a higher state of bliss.
A “lack” mindset will disappear as we step into our inner power. Joy enters quite effortlessly as we shift away from what we feel we’re missing, and into gratitude for the amazingness of our life. Which people are we thankful to have in our lives? Which recent opportunities and experiences have brought us joy?
Use our sacred alone time to find more gratitude:
Embracing and cultivating alone time is one of the main keys to finding JOMO. If we feel fulfilled when we are alone, we do not feel the need to seek fulfillment and validation from people or experiences. Start a gratitude journal. Write out a list of things that are going well, and include little moments throughout the day that sparked a feeling of happiness—a random conversation, finding a sunny spot at the park, or the simple joy of enjoying a walk with a cup of coffee. Gratitude is the best way to reach a life of abundance and bliss.
Flex your trust muscle:
Come back to one of the core teachings of mindfulness and meditation: trust and surrender. Through the art of trust and surrender, we align with the right opportunities, jobs, contacts, and connections. This leads us to reach a “flow state” in our lives, which is a state of being that is effortless, and an unquestionable sign that we are on our true path.
Get outside!
There are many studies that have shown that getting outside as a way to enhance emotional stability and creativity. Dr. Rhonda Patrick is an American biochemist who has done extensive research on aging, cancer, and nutrition. She is famous for speaking about the use of sun activity, breathing, and saunas as natural therapies to heal depression and anxiety. Fear is an emotion that can have a correlation with depression, so get outside! Even if it’s for a 15-minute walk, it can help the body circulate and release stress emotionally and physically!
Establish a meditation and movement practice:
There are various forms and methods of mediation. While sitting on a pillow, closing the eyes, and watching our breath is a well-known form of meditation, there are other ways to get the mind into that flow state.
Walking, jogging, or any active movement can be a true catalyst to guide the mind toward inner happiness and inspiration. Yoga teaches us that the solar plexus chakra is the powerhouse of our inner creativity. Epiphanies and creative ideas or “downloads” can hit the mind effortlessly when a movement and breath practice is incorporated in a daily routine.
The universe doesn’t know what FOMO is—today’s society led us to create this feeling. We must trust that the universe will send us whatever is meant for us, and feeling like we’re missing out is just the ego latching onto something out of our control, leaving us in fear and anxiety.
Connecting to your inner power and finding contentment within yourself in this moment will be the catalyst for pure fulfillment for a true sense of JOMO.
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AUTHOR: GAB COHEN
IMAGE: AUTHOR'S OWN
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