FOMO vs. Jomo: Why is 'missing' good for mental health?

In a passing corridor through social networks You can see different photos of friends enjoying the sea, a bar in Europe, at a huge party or doing extreme sports. Being outside of these “happiness” situations can result in a post-happiness aftertaste bitter And an idea: “They are having fun without meI miss him”.

This fear is given this name FOMO. The abbreviation FOMO comes from the English expression Fear of missing out (“Fear of missing out” in Spanish). This fear of being 'excluded' may be related to coming out or… Social events, Jobs, Relations Or even life questions in general.

to Cynthia Zeitz(MN 60105), Head of the Department of Psychology at Caseros Model Sanitarium, “It's something I see a lot in my patients. He is afraid Not uploading a photo or not showing their whereabouts. There are a lot of excursions on this topic. Always around Economic number Such as a yacht, a photo of the boardwalk, among others. The person who looks at it starts Rethink your life “And what does he do with her other than the other ones?” information In a recent note.

Graduate in Psychology Juan Carlos PicassoFamily psychologist and preventive medicine specialist, director of the Holistic Living Center for Wellness, L information: “It's Jomo Freedom to enjoy What we do in every moment without being aware of what others are doing which in turn responds to another phenomenon, FOMO, which is the fear of missing out on something, of being out of touch, or of not having the most fun.

For this part, Marcelo R. SiberioThe psychologist, who holds a Master's in Family Therapy from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a Master's in Psycho-Immuno-Endocrinology from the University of Favaloro, explained, information: “he conflict It occurs because the person who observes the sight of the friend or group of friends doing an activity etc., feels that they should have been there and they were not, or worse, to imagine That he was excluded and not invited, or “what am I doing here in my room, looking at my cell phone” or “studying” or “playing with my cat”, while others enjoy having a beer, dancing and laughing in a group. this disturbance Nearly two-thirds of all social media users in the world suffer from it addicted To remain aware and dependent on the actions of others.

But new research now suggests that it is possible Enjoy “missing something.” For the better Psychological health This year, experts recommend reframing your feelings of FOMO and trying to switch to them instead Jomo: The joy of losing something. What does it mean? It is also an abbreviation: The joy of the lostWhich means “the joy of lost things”, and invites you to live different experiences without thinking about their quantity Likes It will be obtained or if you really want to share it on networks.

“FOMO existed before social media“But it wasn’t a prominent part of our experience,” he said. Chris Barry, professor of psychology at Washington State University. With the arrival of social networks, it has become possible to see the events of each person's life, and therefore, as experts say, the possibility of comparing oneself with others all the time and perhaps experiencing unpleasant feelings has increased.

“Living on the grids and the look is so toxic. There is a truth, people want to belong, but it is important that when they want to be a part they do not forget what is good for each person.

the research It turns out that the highest levels FOMO Associated with A Low self-esteem, insomnia, lower life satisfaction, and more loneliness.

According to another Stadythe Notifications Repetitive applications involve switching tasks frequently, which Affects performance. “This affects the ability to pay attention; work disrupts work and overall productivity,” the study stressed.

According to Ceberio, “FOMO produces high levels of… anxietywith its consequences pressure And the stress of trying to be in several places at the same time and not miss anything. Often times this sticking originates with the cell phone addicted, Through constant awareness of the images and the immediate circle that produces their symptoms Headache and palpitationssometimes Sweating, as part of an anxiety disorder. symptoms insomnia, they, Warn Hypervigilance and mental musings, As a means of thinking and rethinking the actions of others. In addition, feelings Loneliness And low self-esteem In the projection that is applied to the environment when feeling excluded.

It also affects feed. “feelings envy And Social exclusion It is associated with poor eating habits. Furthermore, FOMO by encouraging high use of social networks leads to A stable lifestyle Which affects the epidemic obesity The research reported.

On October 4, 2021 for several hours, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp They stopped working. In order to pay attention to this matter, scientists decided to investigate how this event affected users. In the two days following the power outage. Tally GazetteAssociate Professor of Information Sciences at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and graduate student Tal Eitan recruited 571 adults to respond to a questionnaire to assess their feelings about the experience.

Initially, the researchers hoped to discover emotions Stress and FOMOWhich, in fact, they found in abundance. But unexpectedly, in the open-ended questions, many people wrote about… Comfort and joy How they felt about being offline and what was happening to others, The New York Times reported Stady For the year 2023.

“A lot of people really They had fun They found themselves talking with their partners and meeting their friends and Doing things, cooking, exercising– Gazit said.

Social media is healthy and social media, despite its many flaws and weaknesses, provides a way to communicate. JOMO is not about avoiding those contacts completely or isolating yourself from others, Barry said. Instead, he suggests intentionally taking periods of disconnection to recharge. Recommendations:

– Make regular plans to disconnect. Gazit found that people who intentionally stayed away from social media had a higher incidence Psychological comfort Compared to those who did not do this on their own, for example when they were asked to put their phones away in class.

– Use protection strategies: For example, turn off notifications, set limits on certain apps, or turn off your device at night, Barry recommended.

-Practice mindfulness or full attention: “The only thing this treatment does is practice self-awareness and let go of all the things that don't add up. In this way, it will be increasingly possible to banish the idea that if I don't go to a fashionable place, and I don't have the photo to upload, I won't be left out of anything.” “. to explain.

Mindfulness is a therapy where a person intentionally focuses on… The present momentfrom U.S Active modeattempt No control or value What you feel or perceive.

– Use social networks in moderation: Cultivating Jomo does not mean completely disconnecting from other people's lives, but rather being more aware of how to use social media and “Think about emotions “What you experience when you view your content and think about what is useful or not,” Barry said.

“Most of the time we're very busy with other people's lives,” Gazit said, suggesting we make a conscious effort to make time to “mind our own existence.”

– Generate greater connection with the real world And another smaller one with the virtual world. Carrying out group activities, without resorting to realism.

-Put yourself first. “It's important to understand that you can't be in everything,” Cepero explained. Evaluate yourself and do exercises to strengthen self-esteem. Try to collect intrusive thoughts and destroy them. Think about the present and don't be distracted by the future or what others will do.

– Arranging activities with friends: It's important to relive and appreciate the experience of spending time chatting or playing in person. In this way, it will be possible to notice that live relationships have a different rhythm from the speed of everything that happens on networks.

– Remember that everyone is missing something: The world is too vast, rich and diverse for one person to experience it all in his or her lifetime. “I always tell people that they have to get over this feeling they have life is booring Through someone's post. You should go somewhere because you really want to go, not because it's trending on social media; I want to buy something because I like it, not because everyone on Instagram uses it. The important thing is not to get involved in the world of lies.”

– define the prioritiesHe is selective With social events and Learn to say noare other ways to avoid FOMO syndrome and Live a fuller, more conscious life.

According to Picasso: “Appropriate Psychological health It is expressed in people who have developed the ability to delay or Give up a reward When it affects your health. he Self-control And Private domain They are tools that protect the health of the mind and body due to the unity and close relationship that exists between them.

He added: “How can we have more Jomo in our lives? Although there is no formula for getting more Jomo, I can say that the highest decisions in life are made by… Belief They rarely have consensus. Convictions happen when people understand who they are. They appreciate who they are They have the ability to be part of a group without being abandoned Identity, values ​​and convictions. This will allow you to enjoy every moment of what you do without having to worry about others.

Appreciating and savoring the joy of living in the present, whether with a loved one or alone, without thinking about what others might do, is ultimately, Live free.