Humans Outside

Latest Episodes:

137: What I Learned from Spending 20 Minutes Outside Every Day for 4 Years Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

When Amy first started her outdoor challenge it wasn't to inspire anyone but herself to make getting into nature a daily habit. It wasn't even because she had found heading outside to be so transformative she had to do it every day. Originally, the 20 minute daily challenge was born of a question: how would her life change if she went outside for a certain amount of time every day for a year? The experiment started September 1, 2017. And there at the beginning was Amy's friend Holly Wise, helping her develop the concept just as she had for all of Amy's big ideas since 2004.

Today, four years after starting her experiment hundreds and hundreds of hours outside as part of her daily practice Amy and Holly discuss what Amy has learned over the course of her habit -- and what you can learn, too.

Some of the good stuff:

[2:42] Amy's favorite outdoor space

[4:37] A question no one is asking

[5:47] What Amy has learned over the last four years

[9:02] Was this a surprise?

[12:00] The importance of incremental changes

[16:24] How doing hard things outside helps with life inside

[20:45] How she gets herself to do hard things

[31:49] The stories we tell ourselves and why they matter

[37:49] The going outside pep talks

[49:02] Amy's relationship with nature

[51:28] Amy's favorite and most essential outdoor gear

[55:51] Amy's favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Follow Amy Bushatz on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amybushatz

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: https://instagram.com/humansoutside

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumansOutside/

136 Outdoor Diary: How Do You Make Yourself Go Outside? Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Even in summer in Alaska it can be hard to make yourself do things outside when inside life is calling or the outside isn't exactly what you want it to be. So how do you get yourself out there?

In this episode of Humans Outside's Outdoor Diary Amy talks through three situations she recently faced where she didn't want to go outside, and thinks through what it takes to get out anyway.

Some of the good stuff:

[:28] Deciding to make an effort

[2:43] The Lost Lake Race

[4:43] Worth it

[6:11] How do you take risks?

[7:14] Awareness

Connect with this episode:

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumansOutside/

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: instagram.com/humansoutside

Subscribe to the Humans Outside newsletter for a chance to win a free decal: http://humansoutside.com/newsletter/

135: (Best Of) How to Use the Outdoors as Therapy (Judith Sadora) Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

What's the difference between wilderness therapy and just, well, going outside? Judith Sadora, a licensed therapist based in Oregon, practices wilderness therapy with clients outdoors and is an expert in how spending time outside can help us work through trauma. Hear why the outdoors is a great "container" and how to create your own therapeutic experience outside in this thoughtful and insightful episode.

Some of the good stuff:

[2:06] Judith Sadora's favorite outdoor space

[3:33] Difference between wilderness therapy and therapeutic recreation

[9:50] Why nature makes a good 'container'

[18:01] Does nature heal trauma?

[20:09] Connecting nature to city life

[22:12] Changing the narrative around what nature is (and isn't)

[30:14] Judith's 'why'

[40:34] How to find your own therapeutic recreation

[45:23] Judith's favorite and most essential outdoor gear

[48:18] Judith's favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Judith Sadora, Triune Health and Wellness: https://triunehealthandwellness.com/

Evoke Therapy: http://www.evoketherapy.com

Follow Judith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadorawellness

134 Outdoor Diary: How Spending Time Outside Made Me Love My Small Town Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Do you love where you live? If you've been listening to Humans Outside you know Amy loves her small town, Palmer Alaska. But she hasn't always lived there — or loved it.

In this episode Amy reflects on how spending time outside has helped her love where she lives, and why that matters.

Some of the good stuff:

[:30] Do you love where you live?

[1:37] Palmer, Alaska

[3:14] The Alaska State Fair

[5:17] Where to find Humans Outside

Connect with this episode:

Check out Melody Warnick's book on loving where you live

Listen to Melody on the Humans Outside podcast: https://amzn.to/2W8WI4Phttps://humansoutside.com/podcasts/melody-warnick-humans-outside-podcast/

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside/

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humansoutside

Sign-up for the Humans Outside newsletter for a chance to win a free decal: https://humansoutside.com/newsletter/

133: (Best Of) How to Make Outdoor Friends (a Conversation with 'Running Wives' Rachel Gernat and Clare Shea) Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

You've heard them mentioned, you've seen their pictures -- and now you get to hear them on the Humans Outside podcast: Amy's "running wives," Clare Shea and Rachel Gernat. In this podcast Season 2 premier, Amy, Clare and Rachel discuss outdoor-based friendship, what makes it special and how, exactly, you, too, can make outdoor-minded friends. What's the secret sauce? How do you even find great friends?

Connect with this episode:

Follow Clare Shea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatinwild/

Follow Rachel Gernat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/32rkg/

Some of the good stuff

[1:51] Rachel Gernat's favorite outdoor space

[2:20] Clare Shea's favorite outdoor space

[4:12] How Amy met her Running Wives

[4:34] How Rachel and Clare met

[6:12] What makes us such great friends

[9:19] Favorite memory of the wives together

[16:30] The importance of finding friends who push you

[18:15] What brought us to Alaska

[23:00] How to find outdoor friends

[34:16] How doing hard things outside helps you find friends

[47:22] Clare's favorite outdoor gear

[48:30] Rachel's favorite outdoor gear

[50:04] Clare's favorite outdoor gear again

[51:00] Rachel's favorite outdoor gear

[55:57] Amy's favorite outdoor moment

[56:35] Rachel's favorite outdoor moments

[57:59] Clare's favorite outdoor moment

132 Outdoor Diary: How I Used Nature as a 'Container' for Big Feelings Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

When trauma or difficult events seep into your life, it's easy to get angry or sad -- and hard to process them. Thanks to some advice from a past podcast guest, this week Amy hit the great outdoors to process some tough stuff going on, and use nature as a "container" for that work.

Some of the good stuff

[:26] Some current events and emotions

[1:46] Using the outdoors as a safe place

[3:23] Brainstorming outside

[4:30] Changing seasons

[4:56] Where to find Humans Outside

Listen to Humans Outside with recreational therapist Judith Sadora: https://humansoutside.com/podcasts/judith-sadora-how-use-outdoors-therapy/

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside/

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humansoutside

131: (Best Of) How They Spend 1,000 Hours Outside Every Year (Virginia Yurich) Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

In the beginning, she was just trying to save her sanity, says Virginia Yurich, who goes by Ginny. With a passel of little kids she was feeling run ragged brought by all the commitments shuffling children here and there. When her friend invited her to simply spend some time outside, letting her kids explore and live a little, she was skeptical. But after seeing the benefits, her skepticism vanished -- and she was hooked.

Now Ginny shares her experience through a vibrant community of parents and families with one goal in mind: getting their kids to spend at least 1,000 hours outside each year. That seems like a huge number, but Ginny says it's both possible and completely life-changing for the whole family.

Listen to this episode of the Humans Outside podcast to learn how Ginny makes it happen, and how you can integrate her lessons into your own life.

Some of the good stuff:

[1:41] Virginia Yurich's favorite outdoor space

[3:21] Where her 1,000 hours outside project came from

[14:47] The learning misconception

[24:42] How nature enhances learning

[27:34] How to work towards 1,000 hours outside

[33:11] What they do in the winter

[46:00] How to get started

[43:50] Their favorite and most essential outdoor gear

[46:18] Her favorite outdoor space

Connect with this episode:

1,000 Hours Outside website: https://www.1000hoursoutside.com/

1,000 Hours Outside on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1000hoursoutside/

1,000 Hours Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1000hoursoutside

130 Outdoor Diary: What Failing My Race Taught Me About Having a Growth Mindset Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

When Amy headed outside to run again in January following a rehab time from her September surgery, she had one goal: get ready for the Resurrection Pass 100 ultra trail race. Crazy? Maybe.

The race was July 30, and while it didn't go exactly as Amy hoped it would, she learned plenty about herself, nature and doing hard things along the way.

Some of the good stuff:

[:26] Amy's slightly neurotic, yet productive, schedule

[1:25] Trying something new

[2:20] The race

[6:00] A different achievement

[6:49] The small wins

Connect with this episode:

Resurrection Pass 100 results: http://www.rpultras.com/p/results.html

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: https://instagram.com/humansoutside

Follow Humans OUtside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumansOutside/

Sign-up for the Humans Outside newsletter for a chance to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/newsletter/

Here Comes Humans Outside Season 4 Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

Ready to explore how building a daily outdoor habit can change your life, amp up your hapiness and help you find yourself? It's been four years since we started our own daily outdoor habit -- and now we're bringing you with us through insights and helps from nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and experts.

Join us for Humans Outside Season 4 to hear from experts like Karla Amador, founder of the world-famous 52 Hike Challenge, author Michael Easter whose new book explores the benefits of discomfort and activists Mikah Meyer and Melody Forsyth.

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: https://instagram.com/humansoutside

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/humansoutside

129: (Best Of) Why 20 Minutes Outside Really Is Perfect, Plus Other Ways to Better Your Outside Times (Dr. Kathleen Wolf) Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

We liked this episode so much we're releasing it again!

In 2017 when Amy picked 20 minutes as her minimum daily outdoor time, she based that decision on some research she read in passing that said 20 minutes is enough time to spend outside and see health benefits from doing so. But Amy isn't a social scientist or a scientific researcher, so her choice of 20 minutes wasn't overly scientific either. That and every other outdoor decision she's made is just based on gut.

So was she right? Has her outdoor experiment been aimed at the right thing -- or has she been wasting her life on the wrong timing and wrong activities? In this episode we bring in an actual outdoor experience researcher and scientist, Dr. Kathleen Wolf, to weigh-in on not just what the research says about what Amy is doing, but on how everyone can get the most out of their own time in nature.

Connect with this episode:

Learn more about Dr. Kathleen Wolf: http://www.naturewithin.info/webCV_KWolf.pdf

Read Dr. Kathleen Wolf's long term project, "Green Cities: Good Health": http://depts.washington.edu/hhwb/

Find Dr. Kathleen Wolf on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katwolf/

Register for our newsletter to win a decal: https://humansoutside.com/newsletter Follow Humans Outside on Instagram: Https://www.instagram.com/humansoutside

Some of the good stuff:

[1:49] Dr. Kathleen Wolf's favorite outdoor space

[4:16] Kathy's journey to outdoor researcher

[6:58] What the research says about nature making you feel better

[9:24] What the research says about spending 20 minutes outside a day

[12:26] Is Amy too worried about dosage or doing something different every day?

[25:41] Does what you do outside matter?

[28:18] Is some of Amy's outside time worthless?

[32:23] A Seatac airport secret - shhh don't tell

[34:56] How people can get the most of their outdoor time

[39:07] Kathy's favorite and most essential outdoor gear

[43:11] Kathy's favorite outdoor moment