Posted in Personal Essay

The Unexpected Joy of Missing Out (and What I Learned From Staying Home)

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The Unexpected Joy of Missing Out (JOMO): What I Learned From Staying Home

We live in a world obsessed with FOMO – the dreaded Fear Of Missing Out. Social media feeds us a constant stream of exotic vacations, picture-perfect parties, and wildly successful side hustles. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re perpetually stuck on the sidelines of life’s most epic party.

Confessions of a Recovering FOMO Addict

I’ll admit it: I used to be a card-carrying member of the FOMO club. If my friends were going out, I was there, even if it meant sacrificing sleep, sanity, and sometimes even my bank account. The thought of missing out on a potentially legendary night filled me with a special kind of existential dread.

started to actually enjoy staying home. It began gradually, with a canceled plan here and a quiet night in there. What started as accidental became intentional. I rediscovered the simple pleasure of reading a book in a bubble bath, binge-watching terrible reality TV without judgment, and actually catching up on sleep.

Embracing JOMO: The Great Closet Clean-Out of 2023 (and Other Unexpected Delights)

Once I embraced the joy of missing out, a whole world of possibilities opened up. I finally tackled the mountain of laundry that had been haunting my bedroom closet (turns out, there’s a floor under there!). I discovered a hidden talent for baking sourdough bread (the smell alone is worth the effort!). And, I actually started pursuing some of those long-neglected hobbies I’d been meaning to get around to “someday.”

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