For those of us in animal sports, this looks like it’s going to be a rough season. Delays, cancellations and so much uncertainty.

We are missing opportunities to show off our skills and win ribbons and prizes and have the work and effort we’ve made lauded and appreciated.

It, to be blunt, sucks.

There is a magic in hitting pause though (this blog first came to my mind in late January – look how much more timely it is now!) Finding joy when we can’t do something is a hard skill to hone though so let me help you break it down a bit.

Finding joy in hitting pause means we look for positivity and opportunity in our pause. We notice things, we see much beauty around us and are aware of our senses. Small things we hadn’t been aware of before become apparent now.

We can take pausing as an opportunity to make new choices or reflect in other ways to our usual grind. We can find new goals, perhaps even new passions in the time we give them pause and the missing out of whatever we thought we needed in a particular moment of time.

JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) means we are responsible for our actions and reactions in a way that can foster happiness, gratitude and an overall appreciation.  Pausing can lead to positive change and wonder – new goals, or meeting old goals in different ways.

Trainers experiencing JOMO might find they are perfectly happy to nerd out on a particular skill simply because they love training it, or they might put another skill on hold because they don’t need that specific skill unless they are showing.

Enjoying JOMO means becoming more mindful and aware of what you do participate in. Accepting that you don’t need everything or ALL THE THINGS to be happy and content. Focusing on the things that matter to you is all right and reasonable – and even, dare I say it, pleasurable!

People embracing JOMO give up on feeling envious including what is happening on their social media feed. Right now is a good time to practice that one… did you need to be at that mass party on the beach last week before the seriousness of Coronavirus was broadly realized? More likely you are delighted you weren’t there! Am I right?

There is always something “better” to do. The grass is always greener elsewhere. There might be no better time to practice enjoying what you have, where you have and making the most of it. If you can’t train in your usual space think about how you can adapt. Can’t train or ride at all? Think about how to get fitter or more limber instead.

You. Got. This. We. Got. This.

Stay home, stay safe and stay healthy. We’ll be back to (new) normal soon enough.