Journals of Joy
A collection of stories and reflections on living with intention in a digital world. From classrooms to communities, these voices share what it means to choose joy over distraction.
Discover stories that inspire balance, purpose, and digital well-being.
Six Ways to Tackle Senioritis
Senior year shouldn’t end in autopilot mode. This article offers six doable strategies to combat senioritis—boost motivation, manage screens, stay connected, and make your final months count.
Helping Students Build Focus and Attention Through Small Daily Habits
Inside the JOMO curriculum, practices like habit-stacking, purposeful pauses, and playful transitions are woven into everyday lessons. By linking micro-shifts—such as a two-minute stretch before class or a quick brain-break game—to existing routines, students move from distraction to presence and build attention one small step at a time.
Redefining Belonging: Wrestling with Social Imposter Syndrome
Feeling present but not quite accepted. In this honest reflection, Katie revisits her high-school journey through social imposter syndrome — letting go of the picture-perfect mold, embracing her unique interests, and discovering belonging in unexpected places. Redefining belonging began with leaning into who she is, not who she thought she should be.
Welcoming Mladen Raickovic to the JOMO Advisory Team
Senior year shouldn’t end in autopilot mode. This article offers six doable strategies to combat senioritis—boost motivation, manage screens, stay connected, and make your final months count.
Belonging Starts with You: Four Simple Tips for Making Connections at School
You don’t have to wait to be picked to belong — belonging begins with your next move. At school, every new group, every kind word, every phone left in the bag gives the invitation to someone else. Start small: join a club, ask a question, show up. And you’ll soon see that belonging isn’t about fitting in; it’s about showing up for others.
From Phones to Freedom: Starting the School Year with Joyful Device Boundaries
Device policies aren’t just about removing distractions — they build the space for presence, connection and joy to flourish. As the school year begins, setting boundaries around our devices becomes an invitation to deeper focus, richer relationships and freedom from constant screen pull.
How to optimize your “Senior Season”
Whether it’s your last year at school or you’re stepping into unknown territory as a new senior, you’ve got one of the busiest — and most meaningful — chapters ahead. From grad trips to part-time jobs, from capturing everyday moments to embracing leadership roles, this is your moment. Don’t just survive senior-year chaos: lean in intentionally, say yes, try new things, and preserve the memories. Senior Season? Optimized.
What I Wish I Knew Before Starting a New School Year
Starting something new can feel overwhelming—new routines, new people, all the new unknowns. Instead of isolating, lean into it: be present in the early days, build supportive routines, set clear goals, and let the journey show who you are. You’re not alone in how you feel, and you don’t need to have it all figured out on day one
Back In The Good Old Days: The Return of the Phone Free Summer Break
Instead of letting screens steal our days, this summer invites us back to game nights, backyard baking, and campfire s’mores. A bucket list of real-life memories gives us new goals—not just scrolling habits. Let’s unplug from algorithms, rediscover boredom as creative fuel, and leave the season with joy, connection and stories worth telling.”
Rewriting My Summer: A Case for Curiosity (and Putting Your Phone Down)
Instead of letting screens take our summer days, we made one simple rule: try things we’ve never done and switch off the notifications. We rediscovered our communities, embraced new adventures and proved that our city (and our summer) had far more to offer when we were fully present.
Meet Our JOMO Summer Interns: Katie & Sarah
You’re not behind — you’re right here. This moment matters. Recognising the value of where you are now unlocks the freedom to move forward with clarity, not comparison. Real presence starts when you stop trying to be somewhere else and begin bringing your full self to exactly where you are.
Growing Together: JOMO(campus) Expands Association Partnerships with PCCE
We’re excited to welcome the Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE) as our newest association partner. This fall, four PCCE schools will pilot the JOMO-digital-wellness program—joining a growing movement alongside SCSBC, CSI, Edvance, CESA and IACS.
Want to Curb Tech Overuse? Start with Belonging.
Senior year shouldn’t end in autopilot mode. This article offers six doable strategies to combat senioritis—boost motivation, manage screens, stay connected, and make your final months count.
The Tides Are Turning: Reflections on the Phone-Free School Movement in the UK
With youth well-being in steep decline, phone-free school policies are quietly shifting from fringe idea to foundational strategy. Across schools in New Zealand, the UK, Canada and the U.S., communities are reclaiming real-life presence and connection—letting young people talk, laugh and simply be without screens. The tides are turning.
Bridging the Digital Gap: How Schools Can Partner with Parents on Tech Use
Parents want to support their kids in developing healthy tech habits—and schools can step in as trusted partners. Together they can build shared strategies, open conversations and routines that extend beyond the classroom into the home.
Balancing Virtual and Real Connections: A Game Changer for Youth
In a world where screens dominate, what looks like connection can often feel isolating. Studies show that spending more than two hours a day on social media or gaming increases anxiety and depression among youth. Real-life relationships, on the other hand, build empathy, confidence, and resilience—reminding us that true connection happens face-to-face.
The Digital Dilemma: Students, Smartphone Bans, and Needing a New Approach
From burner phones to banned-devices pouches, students are finding creative ways around school smartphone bans. The issue isn’t just the device—it’s the deeper question of why young people feel compelled to stay connected. A shift in approach is needed: one that doesn’t merely restrict phones, but teaches students how and why they use them.
The Future of Digital Wellness Starts with Student Leadership
Young people aren’t just the recipients of digital-wellness programs — they’re the architects. When students step into leadership, they shape the culture, set the pace, and create real change. The future of digital wellness begins with empowering them to lead.
The Joy of Missing Out: A Movement Rooted in Freedom and Presence
There is a quiet revolution unfolding — a movement toward reclaiming time, attention, and the fullness of life beyond the screen. Called the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO), it isn’t about rejecting technology; it’s about choosing what truly matters: meaningful relationships, quiet mornings, and presence over perpetual connection. Opting into real life is a subtle act of freedom in a world built to keep you scrolling.
Welcome to Converge 2025!
We’re excited to share more about JOMO’s mission—because in a world of constant digital noise, we believe in reclaiming the Joy of Missing Out. Whether you’re a student, parent, educator, or faith leader, the way we engage with technology isn’t just a cultural question—it’s a spiritual one. Discover how we’re equipping communities with tools for digital-wellness, presence, and intentional living.
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It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.