Humans Outside

Latest Episodes:

292 Best Of: How to Maximize Your Outdoor Life While Creating a Minimalist Lifestyle (Meg Carney, outdoor minimalist) Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

The more time you spend outside, the more you might be thinking about doing what you can to make sure the thing you love so much -- nature -- is taken care of and around for others to enjoy, too. It's a bummer to watch something you enjoy so much disappear or be carelessly shoved aside.

In this "best of" Humans Outside episode Meg Carney, an outdoor minimalist, author and podcast host shares her tips for outdoor minimalism and it's worth a listen.

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291 Outdoor Diary: How Going Outside Has Made Me Better at Decision Making Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Life is full of forks in the road -- literally and figuratively. And over my more than 2,000 days going outside every single day for at least 20 minutes I've noticed something: the more I practice making decisions outside, the better I am at making them inside.

Why is that and why does it matter? Listen now.

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Some of the good stuff:

[:40] Going outside means you're going to encounter this

[:45] The many ways I've faced this

[1:15] What I've noticed about this over my outdoor time

[2:05] Taking this lesson inside

[3:00] Practice makes perfect when dealing with risk

290 Best Of: How to Use 'Nearby Nature' to Get You and Your Family Outside (Zenovia Stephens) Apr 06, 2023

Show notes

One of the most frequent questions I get when it comes to heading outside is whether my family goes with me and, if so, how I get them out there. While the truth is that my daily outdoor habit is my habit and my family isn't always with me, they often are. And I'm working hard to make going outside a part of who my kids are, just like heading outside has become a part of who I am.

So how do I make that happen? I lean into what we like to call "nearby nature," that outside space that's just where you are. It's not complicated. Isn't not hard to get to. It's right there. It's nearby.

But going outside as a family means everyone needs to sometimes reframe their expectations. In this best of episode Zenovia Stephens the founder of Black Kids Adventure tells us about her nearby nature and how she works with her own family to help other families appreciate it.

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289: Outdoor Diary: This Time Management Hack Gives Me More Outdoor Time Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

When it comes to balancing a desire to spend time outside with indoor obligations that keep your job and life running, a little bit of organization goes a long way.

I've realized that powering through one simple planning task every one of us faces is the difference between living in harried chaos and feeling like everything is under control with plenty of time for everything I want to do, including heading into nature.

So what is it? Menu planning.

(Yes, seriously.)

But I have figured out a way to make it as painless as possible (while still hating it). Listen now to find out what works for me, why it has such a major impact and how it could help you, too.

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Some of the good stuff:

[:35] The major problem of this time of year

[1:00] Here comes the chaos

[2:07] The impact of time management

[2:30] I hate this, I really do

[3:06] Here's why I do it anyway

[3:21] My system for tackling this

[4:30] The next step: food prep

[4:45] Why this matters for going outside

[5:31] Yup, I'm still learning.

288: Working Through Outdoor Fears (Sandy McDermott, natural science illustrator, instructor) Mar 30, 2023

Show notes

How do you work through fear of outdoor unknowns? How do you get comfortable with nature-based risks like wildlife or finding danger when you're all alone? What do you do about all of the outdoor "what ifs?" Those are questions natural science illustrator and art instructor Sandy McDermott found herself grappling with after an unexpected move from the northeast U.S. to Anchorage, Alaska. And as she looked for ways to move through her fears, she turned to a familiar comfort -- creating the art that pushed her to head outside to start with.

In this episode Sandy talks about her ongoing journey towards getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how you can overcome your own fears of the unknown in wild spaces. Listen now.

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Visit Sandy McDermott's website

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Some of the good stuff:

[3:03] Sandy McDermott's favorite outdoor space

[5:24] What does a nature illustrator actually do?

[7:24] The outdoor fears that surprised her in Alaska

[9:48] Did the fear surprise her?

[10:31] Normalizing the fear response

[13:45] Did she ever consider just staying inside?

[16:00] How all the problems add up

[21:58] How art has helped her work through the fears

[28:07] Is she surprised by where the journey has brought her?

[28:05] It's called "bearanoid"

[33:21] What the combination of nature and art mean to her

[35:42] Tips for getting over nature fears

[45:38] Sandy's favorite outdoor moment

287 Outdoor Diary: The Value of Taking My Hard Stuff for a Hike Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Got hard stuff? Me, too. Fortunately for all of us, there's nature to help with that.

One of the best things I've ever learned while recording episodes of Humans Outside is to think about nature as a container for all the tough stuff of life. So how do you do that? Listen now to find out.

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How to Use the Outdoors As Therapy (Judith Sadora) Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[;34] The importance of reframing and why I love it so

[1:15] One of my favorite reframings

[1:40] Think about the outdoors as a "container"

[2:15] Why a container is good for you too

[3:00] How I used the container recently

[4:00] How to make the container work for you

[4:10] The tool of soft focus

[5:12] Mind wandering + walking

[5:46] Working hard outside

[6:00] Don't forget the container when you need it

286: Going Chicken Crazy for an Outdoor Habit In Your Own Backyard (Tove Danovich, author, journalist, chicken enthusiast) Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

It might also be trendy, but backyard chicken keeping isn't just a delightful way to source a parade of fresh eggs and endless chicken entertainment, it's also the perfect lure for getting outside regularly right where you are. And while, yes, keeping any outdoor animal provides the obligatory outdoor chore list, a backyard coop can also draw you into nature in ways that don't include coop cleaning or flock feeding, says podcast guest Tove Danovich.

A journalist and author of the new book Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them, Tove has an insider perspective on all the ways keeping a parade of chickens can connect you with your own nearby nature, too. Listen now.

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Read Under the Henfluence (affiliate link) Visit Tove Danovich's website Follow Tove on Instagram Follow Tove's chickens on Instagram (yes, really) Follow Tove on Facebook Follow Tove on Twitter Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:16] Tove Danovich's favorite outdoor space [4:23] How Tove became someone who likes to go outside [6:42] Tove's chicken story [8:45] Chicken math [11:02] Is there such a thing as too many chickens? [14:40] How chickens help Tove get outside [18:00] Warning warning she might a birder [22:30] Rooster problems [23:53] Why it matters that the chickens don't need her [29:05] The inside scoop on chicken culture [32:17] What people should know about chickens that the books don't really say [37:00] Keeping chickens from becoming a chore [42:47] Tove's favorite outdoor moment

285 Outdoor Diary: The Most Important Thing I Learned This Season Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Tackling big challenges outside offers plenty of opportunities to learn big lessons. But this one? This takeaway is something I am going to be able to leverage for every outdoor experience. It all started with some insight from a Humans Outside podcast guest and became crystal clear during a recent big adventure on a very windy mountain run. So what's the lesson and how can it help you? Listen now.

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Visit Sarah Histand's website

Hear more about being nice to your nervous system in this Humans Outside episode

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Some of the good stuff:

[:58] What is the most important thing I've learned?

[1:05] Woooooo, nervous system

[1:20] Sarah Histand, master of this topic, so check her out

[1:45] The secret power of your nervous system

[2:00] All the ways you might hear your nervous system talking

[2:40] Training your nervous system

[3:00] The fun words: titration and pendulation

[3:30] How this lesson helped me.

[3:50] The most important part of this lesson

[4:20] A reason example of this particular learning

[4:30] All about the Crazy Lazy Mountain Race and exactly how crazy it was

[6:12] The moment my nervous system left the party

[6:45] Why this understanding matters

[7:25] How this might apply to you even if you're not on Lazy Mountain in big wind

284: This Dad-Daughter Duo Takes Long Hikes to Share Their Spectrum Adventures (Ian and Eve Alderman, hiking for autism awareness) Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

How does spending time outside impact or help humans who are tackling life with various forms of neurodivergence or with an autism diagnosis? Dad and daughter duo Ian and Eve Alderman, who share both an autism diagnosis and a love of hiking, are navigating the world - literally - one hike at a time. With the support of mom Sarah, the Scotland-based family is teaching Eve to pair her unique abilities with the wide world by doing long hiking projects for charity.

In this episode Ian takes a break from the trail to talk about their adventures, how spending time outside aids them on their life journey, and what other humans both neuronormative and neurodivergent may be able to find by spending more time outside.

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Buy Ian and Eve a coffee (or hot chocolate!)

Visit Ian and Eve's website Our Spectrum Adventures website

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Support Scottish Autism through Just Giving

Support Scottish Autism through GoFundMe

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

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Some of the good stuff:

[2:58] Ian Alderman's favorite outdoor space

[3:44] All about Ian's family and their outdoor story

[8:13] What autism looks like for Eve (age 9) and Ian

[12:09] How spending time outside helps Eve

[17:18] How they handle Eve's schooling while hiking full time

[22:40] All about this year's hiking project

[24:02] Hiking for charity

[28:13] What working through nature has taught Ian about his own autism

[31:55] Feeling vulnerable in nature and why that's everyone

[32:33] What humans can find by going outside

[36:24] How listeners can support Ian and Eve

[37:37] Ian's favorite outdoor moments

283 Outdoor Diary: Why Fool's Spring Is OK With Me Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

If getting excited about spring weather despite all of its unpredictability makes me a fool, then so be it. But while the uncertainty of spring can be exasperating, it also carries some important reminders that can help you lean into making the most of it, other seasons -- both outside and inside -- and events outside your control.

Ready to be a fool for spring, too? Listen now.

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Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Spring is, well, a little dramatic

[1:05] 45 winters and springs and their names (not really)

[1:50] I am a fool and I like it

[2:30] The reminders of spring drama

[2:49] Living with flexibility due to lack of other options

[3:35] The seizing the day of the winter