My word for 2021 ~ JOMO
As 2021 comes to an end …
Thank you so much for being a part of Inspya Me community I hope this email finds you well and healthy, if unwell may your recovery be swift ~ here’s my Viloma lung clearing/expansion breathwork practice (brief tutorial OR use your online membership Viloma Beginners 15min practice - not a member? use FREE Trial) great for both preventative + recovery.
With so many of us in isolation or perhaps choosing ‘selective participation’ as the year comes to an end I have chosen my word for the year to share with you is JOMO - the Joy Of Missing Out! The last two years have taught me so much about myself, how I use my energy and where to apply it (and where I had previously been depleting it), what and who matter the most ~ I am now fully embracing JOMO ~ as an introvert who loves solitude but equally loves people + talking + striving it’s taken a while to work it out!
If you are enjoying the social festivities of this time of year I hope you have a fabulous time and you’re making memories with those you love. For anyone in isolation, like myself (I’m fine, symptom free, so far testing negative), or if you’re choosing a low profile for your end of year celebrations I hope you find absolute fulfilment in how you choose to spend your precious time and celebrate YOU at this auspicious time of the year. A time to release the old, and create something new ~ here’s a link to my End of Year Guided Meditation . Love you to join me live stream class Friday 31st Dec 7.00am for an end of year Yogi Windown.
JOMO is the emotionally intelligent antidote to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and is essentially about being present and being content with where we are at in life. Not needing to compare our life to others but instead, practice tuning out the background noise of the “shoulds” and “wants” (which for me meant less social media scrolling) and letting go of worrying whether I am doing something wrong, right or not enough. JOMO allows us to live life in the slow lane, to appreciate human connections, to be intentional with our time, to practice saying “no,” to give ourselves “tech-free breaks,” and to give us permission to acknowledge where we are and to feel emotions, whether they are positive or negative. Instead of constantly trying to keep up with the Jones’, JOMO allows us to be who we are in the present moment, which is ultimately finding our authentic Self.
Social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter personify FOMO, fear of missing out. We scroll through our news feeds and are inundated with status updates, memes, political puns, photos, and the latest breaking news. Social media is addicting and everything on social media is amazing. We wield the power of a “like”, which stimulates the firing of dopamine in our brains and soon we become addicted to the knowing, the likes, the instant gratification, the attention and the busyness, so we keep going back for more. Minutes can turn into hours while we scroll through news feeds and posts for fear that we will miss out on something.
Another driver of FOMO is the social pressure to be at the right place with the right people, whether it’s from a sense of duty or just trying to get ahead, we feel obligated to attend certain event for work, for family and for friends. This pressure from society combined with the fear of missing out (FOMO) can wear us down and can decrease our happiness. According to a recent survey on LinkedIn, 70 percent of employees admit that when they take a vacation, they stay don't disconnect from work. Our digital habits, which include constantly checking messages, emails, and social media timelines, have become so entrenched, it is nearly impossible to simply enjoy the moment, along with the people with whom we are sharing these moments.
When we free up that competitive and anxious space in our brain, we have so much more time, energy and emotion to find our true priorities and purpose. Strangely, in learning my JOMO it has not so much been about ‘doing less’ BUT doing and choosing MORE of what I love. Living more authentically in the now. I have a feeling this has been a lesson every one of us has been gifted within the last 2 years.
Living a life of harmony, and living it guilt-free, is possibly the most challenging feat for most of us. I cannot say I have achieved it, but I can definitely see that my new simplified life feels way more abundant because I am living with my priorities at the centre of my choices every day. Which has in turn meant my physcial body feels better than it has in a long while, my mind clear and calm, and I can see the people gravitating around me are my tribe - my chosen people who bring out the best in me, they also allow me to be the real me, authentically ME!
I am excited about my plans for 2022 prioritising health and connection ~ in a perhaps not-so conventional way! May 2022 bring you an abundance of YOU and your priorities. As we look back on 2021 may we cherish the best of it and be grateful for the resilience in the challenges we’ve faced in the rest of it. I look forward to sharing more Yoga with you in the new year.
Namaste
Nic Whiteman
