Outdoors FOMO is something that I definitely have a problem with.  Read on to learn what Outdoors FOMO is and to see if you should be worried about it.

Ever since I was a young child I loved to run around outside and play with my friends.  As a child, a good day was to be outside with my friends playing until we heard our Mom calling us in for dinner.  Now, as a 40 some odd year old, I still love to spend the day outside with friends and family.  I love hiking, snowboarding, or fishing, but sometimes I can’t get any work done because I fear I’m missing out.

Outdoors FOMO – What Is It?

Outdoors FOMO is simply the Fear Of Missing Out on fun outdoors activities.

Anyone can have and experience this.  This condition does not discriminate.  Adults or kids, men or women, boys or girls can all have this lingering fear that they are missing out on something.

Is Outdoors FOMO A Problem?

This is a good question.  Most of the time I like to think that Outdoors FOMO is not an issue, but sometimes it can lead to problems.

There have been some times when it has caused problems for me and my family.

For example, if our family is all hanging out together doing something inside the house on a nice day, I start to get this itchy feeling.  I start feeling that I can’t sit inside, but need to get outside and do something.

At those times it’s a problem for me and my family because it makes it hard for me to enjoy what we’re doing since I feel I’m missing out.

I guess what I’m getting at is it can be a problem if you can’t relax and focus on the moment.  Sometimes it can hurt the person or those closest to them.

Like many things, outdoors FOMO can lead to problems if you can’t control it.

Outdoors FOMO Can Be A Good Thing

On the positive side it has led me to get outside and have tons of fun adventures.

It has stoked a fire in my belly to take the time to plan some super fun trips for our family.  For example, we went trekking in Nepal and did some great walks in New Zealand (Milford Track and Routeburn Track).

My outdoors FOMO helps me to get the most out of my days.  It helps me to get out and have fun family adventures in nature and the great outdoors.  It has helped me to explore some cool places and is helping me to raise my kids to be nature lovers.

It’s All About Balance

Ultimately like so many things in life it comes down to balance.  I need make sure I keep my outdoor FOMO in check.  Sometimes I have to close my laptop to stop checking the weather in the mountains or looking at the webcam at the beach and play a game with my kids inside the house. Other times I can get us all out of the house to go for a fun hike or camping trip.

My outdoors FOMO helps me to explore the world with my family, but I also need to be able to take a deep breath and shut it off sometimes.