Humans Outside

How well do you know the outdoor areas near your home? I don't just mean the obvious spots, I mean all of the spaces.

And what would happen if you took the time to truly and deeply explore them?

That's something British adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys set out to discover as part of a personal project that turned into his new book, Local. Dividing the region into one-kilometer grid squares, Alastair systematically experienced all of the outdoor spaces near his urban home, and in the process became not only more familiar with where he lived, but also grew a deep appreciation for the nature around him found in some of the most unlikely places.

In this episode you'll hear all about Alastair's truly local adventure, plus some of the simple benefits of taking time to enjoy everything -- the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful -- that nature has for you close to home.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Follow Alastair Humphreys on Facebook

Follow Alastair on Instagram

Visit Alastair's website

Buy Alastair Humphrey's new book, Local (affiliate link)

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:08] Alastair Humphrey's favorite outdoor space

[4:02] Alastair's outdoor story

[5:46] What "Local" is about -- project and book

[8:37] What is "nearby nature?"

[10:35] For the record, I don't have this outside my window

[11:38] What did Alastair find during his project that surprised him?

[15:21] Embracing technology to make outside time better

[17:59] The inspiration to fix problems

[21:55] A mind shift to gratitude and curiosity

[26:12] Taking the time for adventures big and small

[28:36] How anyone can get started on a project like Local

[34:03] Alistair's favorite outdoor moment

If you've been keeping your outdoor habit for awhile just like me, you might be looking for a way to give it a little boost. Or maybe you're new to this, but want to add a little spice or specific outings to your outdoor life. If that's you, this easy new outdoor habit I'm trying this year is probably the perfect fit. It's a simple, low time commitment and interesting option and I can't wait to see how it goes over the coming months.

Want to join me? Learn all about it in this episode of Humans Outside. Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

About Alister Humphrey's "year in a tree"

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:28] I was worried about getting stuck in a rut

[:54] I was curious about forest bathing

[1:22] And then I heard this idea from Alastair Humphreys -- brilliant!

[2:19] How I picked my own version

[3:24] Here's what I picked

[4:05] Here's what I did while I was there

[5:04] You should do this, too!

One of my favorite things I've gained from heading outside every day? The discovery that I have an incredibly useful superpower.

No, it's not x-ray vision, time travel or flying, which is a bummer because those would all be very cool. It's a move power -- the power to make myself do things I don't want to do. And you cannot imagine how helpful this superpower is in all sorts of circumstances.

I think you have a superpower, too. Let's figure out what it is.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] I was here when I remembered my superpower

[1:14] This is my superpower and why I love it

[2:35] I think you have a superpower, too -- here's what it might be

[3:29] Why these superpowers matter

If new habits or a wellness practice refresh is on your mind, you're in good company. The start of a new year or new season often feels like the perfect time for a refresh.

But if you're going to squeeze in a new helpful habit or practice, you might need to phase out an old, less-helpful one. And that's easy to say, but hard to do.

In this episode of Humans Outside, wellness coach and habit expert Sarah Hays Coomer walks us through how to build good habits and get rid of old ones while talking through practical examples of how to make it happen.

Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Visit Sarah Hays Coomer's website

Read Sarah's Forbes column

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Follow Sarah on Facebook

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:54] Sarah Hays Coomer's favorite outdoor space

[4:28] How Sarah became someone who likes to go outside

[7:12] A little bit on the nuts and bolts of habits

[9:29] Some practical habit building

[14:41] The seasons of habits

[18:20] The cruel irony of flexibility vs. consistency

[19:30] Why some habits are hard to break

[22:23] What a growth mindset has to do with it

[24:00] The curiosity factor

[28:30] Microdosing wellness

[31:00] Fitting in the stuff you know you like even when the internet calls your name

[34:18] Breaking out of a 'bad' habit

[37:16] You really do have time

[39:52] Sarah's favorite outdoor moment

The weather might be frightfulish or not exactly what you'd order for your perfect outdoor day, but Humans Outside is still out here helping you get inspired to build and keep that outdoor habit all year long. And now we're ready for Humans Outside season 9.

So you want to create a new habit -- maybe it's heading outside daily for that 20 minutes, maybe it's something related, maybe it's something else entirely. It can be easy to pick a really aggressive goal, or, on the flip side, toy with committing to something and then back out because you don't want to disappoint yourself.

In the happy middle, though, is aiming for a habit that both improves your wellness life and gives you what you need. So how do you get there? In this episode of Humans Outside, Sarah Hays Coomer, a wellness coach and habit expert joins us for a third time to talk about creating a habit that focuses on what you need, gently. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Sarah Hays Coomer's website

Read Sarah's Forbes column

Follow Sarah on Instagram

Follow Sarah on Facebook

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:34] Sarah Hays Coomer's favorite outdoor space

[3:55] How Sarah became someone who likes to go outside

[7:33] The nuts and bolts of a habit

[16:27] The role of sustainability in habit picking

[19:35] How to create a gentle guide for what you need

[26:57] What counts as going outside?

[32:40] Is habit building a muscle?

[37:29] Some tips for a gentle wellness practice

It's good to take a beat, think about the past few seasons and decide with intention how you want to go forward. My preferred method for memory? Photo scrolling.

And so I dove into some memories of outdoor time from the past year, and when I was done I had found two important outdoor lessons that I can take with me to make my future choices and adventures that much better.

… And they can help you, too. Listen now!

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] Taking a cruise through old photos

[1:05] A few lessons from the past year

[2:03] The first lesson

[2:49] Lesson, the second

[4:26] My hope for you

Want to find a way to chase a goal for the new year without becoming one of the estimated 91% of Americans who abandon their new year's resolution before completion? Here at Humans Outside we believe that one simple habit can change your life. And if you're already chasing it, I have some simple ideas for you to give it a little boost.

Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

In seasons of literal darkness it's important to hunt for the light. And there's plenty of places to find it -- warming fires, twinkle lights or the Menorah, shining stars, headlamps and more.

But my favorite way is through a more figurative means: the light of other humans.

With winter darkness and the importance of light on my mind, now is a perfect time to briefly pause and appreciate the light of humans as we go outside together.

Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[:35] The question: where do you find light?

[1:00] The light situation around here

[1:48] Some light places

[2:45] My favorite source of light

[3:06] Here's who they are and where to find them

Today's best of episode is with one of my favorite productivity thinkers, Laura Vanderkam. I love her for her practical advice and steps, including those shared in her most recent book Tranquility By Tuesday. This is the perfect episode to hear as you deal with an intense season of busy where pushing yourself outside in less than ideal weather may not be your favorite idea.

On the one hand is time management -- using steps to get the most out of every hour. On the other hand is energy and having the bandwidth to get it all done.

So what happens when you're great at time management but always find yourself energy poor? You've got time to do everything you need to do, but lack the energy to get around to the things you want to do. Instead you feel rushed at best, or simply exhausted at worst.

In this episode Laura lays out nine guidelines that she has found make a measurable difference in how satisfied people feel about how they spend their time. In this episode she digs into two of the nine and gives tips on how we can make them work for us.

Connect with this episode:

Visit Laura Vanderkam's website

Follow Laura on Instagram

Follow Laura on Facebook

Follow Laura on Twitter

Listen to Best of Both Worlds

Listen to Before Breakfast

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[3:39] Laura Vanderkam pretty much just writes books for me

[4:50] Laura's favorite outdoor space

[7:13] What is tranquility?

[9:37] What are the 'Tranquility by Tuesday' rules?

[12:44] Why is 'three times a habit?' And what does that mean?

[17:28] Intensity vs. consistency

[21:00] All about 'one big adventure, one little adventure'

[24:15] There are no adventure police

[27:00] We're back to intentionality again

[30:30] Overcoming inertia

[33:57] 'Police the muscle'