People share their lamest excuses for cancelling on friends at the last minute

People are sharing the ‘most ridiculous reasons they have cancelled on friends’ as the JOMO, or joy of missing out trend continues to grow.

The trend, which has been growing since the end of Covid lockdown, sees people cancelling plans at the last minute in favour of ‘doing nothing’.

Online, people have admitted to cancelling ‘because they have dandruff’, to ‘watch their plants’ or in favour of chilling with their pets. 

Crappy to Happy founder and psychologist Cass Dunn describes JOMO as the ‘pure enjoyment of what you’re doing in each moment without worrying what everyone else is doing’.

In essence the very opposite of FOMO, the fear of missing out.

‘There is truly no better feeling than sending that life changing text to cancel plans so you can hit the sofa instead,’ she told FEMAIL.

Adding popular activities include watching television on the couch or cuddling up with ice cream.

And it’s not just old people ditching their well-thought-out plans to stay in, in fact research by ice cream company Ben and Jerry’s suggest Gen Z lead the trend.

34 percent of the younger generation admitted to cancelling by telling their friends they had forgotten or were double booked.

While Gen X ‘feel the most relieved’ when they cancel, the stats show.

‘Three in four Australians say they have used an excuse, whether it be a truth or a lie, to cancel plans, when they wanted to stay in rather than go out.’

While half of all Australians admit they feel a rush of excitement after deciding to stay home.

Psychologist Cass Dunn says we often agree to plans without taking time to consider how we will be feeling on the day

Dr Dunn says this is because we often make future plans because it ‘feels good in the moment’ and don’t properly consider how we might be feeling on the day.

‘We often commit to things in the future, assuming that this future self of ours will be energetic, motivated and feeling sociable after a long week,’ she said.

‘Eventually those decisions catch up with us and we’re confronted with the reality of having agreed to do something we really would rather not.’

 This leads to inner turmoil as we are faced with two options, go out when we don’t want to or let down some one we care about, she explained.

‘When we summon up the nerve to send the text and cancel the plans, we not only experience the immediate relief but also sheer joy,’ she said.

‘We’re hit with a flood of dopamine in the reward centre of our brain and that feels really good.’

Dr Dunn wants people to feel okay to opt out of plans if they decide they don’t want to go through with them and says there should be no need to come up with an excuse of pretend to be unwell.

‘Letting ourselves off the hook can be a great act of self-care and we shouldn’t feel guilty about prioritising our own need for some down-time ,’ she said.

‘We’re hit with a flood of dopamine in the reward centre of our brain and that feels really good.’

Before cancelling Dr Dunn likes to remind herself of the relief she feels when others cancel on her.

‘Sometimes the only thing more joyful than cancelling plans is having the other person be the one to cancel,’ she said.

‘So when I do the cancelling, I like to think that my friend might be just as relieved to get my text as I am to send it.’

Ben and Jerry’s are calling for the best excuses people have come up with to flake out on their friends. 

They are rewarding the winner with a Koala sofa and year’ supply of ice cream to help them make the most of their time being anti-scoial at home.

Flakey friends have until September 30 to enter the competition.