The FOMO on JOMO
As part of Project Lotus, I’m challenging myself to try new things. While I’ve been a gym rat and runner for much of the past 20 years, I’ve never tried Pilates. So, when my dear friend Melissa invited me to a joint session with her instructor, I decided to give it a go. While the movements and muscle engagement were relatively easy for me to grasp, the instructor kept reminding me to release my tailbone. “You’re tucking your tailbone like a sad puppy. Think tail up, you know — like a happy dog.” I didn’t intuitively grasp the concept. Maybe because I’m more of a cat person, I thought. She also coached me to drop my ribs with each exhale, aiming to press the dot at the center of my tailbone and the points and the end of my ribcage into the mat.
With each set came the instructor’s refrain:
You’re tucking your tailbone again.
Ribs down, ribs down.
Stick your butt out!
Ribs….ribs….ribs……
Happy dog, no sad puppies.
While I could logically understand the mechanics of the move, my default position was the exact opposite of what was needed to set my body up for success in this new workout. No matter how hard I tried to break the habit when tension or exhaustion set in, I would revert to my set point of tailbone tucked, ribs out. She assured me that I was doing well — my body is strong, and I have a pretty solid mind-body connection. It would just take time to break old habits. Old dog, meet new tricks.
Like most humans, I am a creature of habit. So, while I intentionally set some guidelines for my radical sabbatical, what I failed to do was recognize just how hard it might be to break old patterns. And just like my instructor repeating, “Ribs. Ribs. RIBS!” this week, an old habit that no longer serves me metaphorically smacked me in the face.
Hi. My name is Sherice, and I’m a secret scroller.
This week, I discovered that I spend an inordinate amount of time scrolling through news sites and social media. Sometimes, it’s doom-scrolling (hello, anxiety, my old friend….). At others, it’s FOMO (I know I’m on sabbatical right now, but let me jump on LinkedIn to find out what everyone else is doing). It’s often mindless or out of boredom (how have I spent an entire hour on cat videos?). Regardless of the impetus, what I know for sure is that my scrolling habit does not fit into the Project Lotus categories of Peace, Play, and Pleasure. So, I decided to go cold turkey. I deleted the news and social apps from my phone and committed to limiting my LinkedIn activity to posting and responding to Project Lotus updates for the next 90 days. If I’m going to make the most of this time, I have to remind myself of the commitment to get back to what brings me joy. I’ll have to overcome my FOMO to fully grasp the JOMO.
Who knows, maybe it will even help me get back some of my mojo.
