JOMO

JOMO

So as the year draws to a close, it’s time for the magic of rest and reconnection, right? All true, but it’s surprising how hard it is to pull away from the grind and embrace the moment. In our fast-paced world, driven by consumerism and obsessed with social media, we seem to value status and achievement more than fulfilment. Yet, a satisfied life is better than a successful one. Success is measured by others whereas our contentment is measured by our own body, mind and soul.

Perhaps it is time during this holiday season to recalibrate our bodies using simple lifestyle interventions. This can include taking time to allow ourselves room to disconnect in order to reconnect to ourselves and our inner stillness. As Eckhart Tolle said, “When you lose touch with your inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose touch with the world.”

If this year has been one of perpetual motion and turbo-charged schedules, then the holiday season should be the opposite.

Have you heard about JOMO? The acronym stands for the Joy of Missing Out. It is the balance-finding counterpart of FOMO (the Fear of Missing Out). The Joy of Missing Out is the satisfaction that ensues when we break away from digital technology. JOMO is about asking ourselves to take a moment, disconnect and remember that rest is a natural cycle of life that enables periods of productivity. JOMO means that putting your phone on flight mode should not be limited to when onboard an aeroplane.

Peace of mind is cultivated through the practice of learning to live in the moment, to find the beauty in each moment.

The practise of being in the here and now heals you, and so does taking a nap.

Taking a nap is like rebooting your brain. It’s magical. We have a natural biological slump about eight hours after we wake up, usually between 1pm and 3pm. During this time body temperature drops and melatonin levels rise, which are cues for sleep. It is the biological design of our bodies to encourage a period of brief rest in the middle of the day.

Without sufficient sleep, our bodies produce fewer cytokines, a type of protein that targets infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response. A study that spanned six years found that a nap three times a week resulted in a massive drop in the risk of heart disease among participants.

Napping is not just sleeping, but rather the act of lying horizontally with the intent to calm your body and mind. The key in cultivating a healthy relationship with rest is to understand that one size does not fit all. There are many ways in which you can rest, including meditation, prayer, napping, or even intentional stretching and deep breathing. All of these support body and mind renewal and restoration.

A suggestion for this holiday season is to embrace your relationship with rest, and to remember that you are not a machine. You can stop the grind.

Kirsty Watermeyer Kirsty is a Yoga and Meditation Coach, a Transformation Facilitator and Writer. Contact her at kirsty@seednamibia.com