Where’s the fun in missing out?
Imagine you’re a TCK growing up abroad. Your friends are having a blast at a camp in The Netherlands, posting tons of fun pictures and videos, while you're in Australia with family. You have a lot of conflicting emotions - sad you’re not there with them, mad that they could have fun without you there, scared tehy might not be as interested in you when you get back - but they can be summarized in one feeling: left out.
The fear of missing out originates from the basic human need to feel connected to others.
It’s not comfortable, but we all feel it sometimes. This is especially because of social media, which lets us see what others are doing all the time - and therefore what we’re missing when we aren’t there.
Does missing out always have to be so tough?
Enter JOMO—the joy of missing out.
JOMO is about having gratitude for the experiences you are having, and therefore also being content with missing out on the other stuff. We ultimately know (logically) that we cannot be in multiple places at once, so spending our time wishing we could split in two and have the best of both worlds isn’t time well spent. Instead, we should zoom in on the fun that’s right in front of us, rather than the fun being had elsewhere.
There’s also a lot of joy to be had in the simple things:
Who doesn’t love an all day pajama day sometimes?
It’s easier said than done!
So here are some ideas on how to get started enjoying missing out:
Reflect on how much time you spend on social media. Could you turn off some notifications? What happens if you put your phone on silent and pay attention to the activities around you instead?
Figure out what truly sparks joy in your every day. When we feel left out, we should to make choices based on our values on what makes us feel more like our truest selves. How can we access these things, regardless of what’s happening elsewhere?
Reclaim connection, even to those far away. Rather than fighting against feelings of being left out, try talking about them with others. Friends and family probably feel the same way about your adventures - and they probably miss you too!
Even when we try to bring more joy and contentment into our lives, we might still feel quite stuck. Get in touch with us - We're here to help!