They say spending time in nature can change your life. But in a world packed with indoor life pressures, how can you make getting outside just a part of who you are?
Welcome to the Humans Outside podcast, where we explore life in the great outdoors from our perch in Alaska, all while hearing from fascinating outdoor-minded guests.
Most of the time, it’s a little in my head that tells me I can do things or narrates when they feel like they are about to go very wrong. Sometimes it’s more like a movie — a dramatic demonstration of the terrible thing that’s about to happen, or a picture of the upcoming victory. According to our recent podcast guest Sarah Histand, a mental health-informed fitness trainer all of it is self-talk.
Over my days building my outdoor habit, I’ve learned to make self talk work for me with a few phrases, or mantras, I can repeat over and over.
But there’s still one major thing I struggle with.
And leaning into this negative self-talk? It produces that kind of silly outdoor fail that seems to be my personal speciality.
Listen now.
[:30] A little bit of background on self-talk
[1:10] The times I don’t get it right
[1:35] My biggest outdoor problem
[2:00] What I do about it
[2:37] My reminder self-talk
[3:44] Using it for your indoor life
Maybe it’s something you quietly tell yourself over and over again — actual words, floating through your brain in a steady monologue. Maybe it’s more like a movie, as you visualize what happens next while you work through any given challenge. But all of it can be categorized as “self-talk,” and it holds surprising sway over whether we feel like whatever it is we’re doing will be incredible — or fail miserably.
So how do you learn to have positive self-talk, especially while in the middle of something extremely challenging or even more than a little scary? Can you self-talk your way to success? Can learning how to do so outside translate to your indoor life, too?
Sarah Histand says “yes.” A mental health-focused fitness trainer and Humans Outside fan favorite guest, in this episode Sarah shares her secrets to create self-talk that can get you through the challenge and on to victory. Listen now!
[2:28] Sarah’s favorite outdoor space (this time)
[3:20] Sarah’s outdoor story, plus bonus info on how she met her adventure partner/husband, Luc
[7:05] What is self-talk and what are “mantras”
[9:57] Why do we so clearly experience self-talk outside?
[13:13] When self-talk is visual
[14:12] Taking negative self-talk and making it positive and empowering
[17:36] The problems with a negative loop
[19:29] Mantras and self-talk that work for Sarah
[21:03] Examples of Amy’s useful self-talk
[29:01] How to create positive self-talk
[32:06] Example of negative visualization and how to fix it
[38:00] The mega importance of pausing to note what this feels like
[39:50] Mantras for you to try
[41:42] How to find Sarah and her (recent) favorite outdoor moment
Learn about Ski Babes, Summer Strong and Mind and Mountain
Follow Sarah Histand on Facebook
Follow Sarah Histand on Instagram
What to Wear in Cold Weather, Sarah’s first Humans Outside episode
Why Going Outside Challenges Like Harsh Weather Can Feel Bad and What to Do About It, Sarah’s second Humans Outside episode
Join the Humans Outside Challenge
Follow Humans Outside on Instagram
Follow Humans Outside on Facebook
We’re outside for the joy of nature and to experience all heading out there has to offer us. But sometimes the thing it offers is a little bit less earthy and a little more human. It’s a chance to see humans at their best, moving through something challenging together and holding each other up along the way.
Experiencing that is the joy of being outside with humans. And it’s something you shouldn’t miss.
[:35] My favorite fitness thing of the year
[:50] What the humans have to do with it
[1:15] Why the Gold Nugget triathlon is a little different
[1:40] A few of the complications and reasons that it’s great
[2:00] Why humans together outside shows what we need to see
[3:15] Other adventures just this week that showed that humans outside are the best
Have you ever felt compelled to tackle a big journey outside? Big is always relative, but for this podcast guest it was really, really big — canoeing the Mississippi River from source to sea for over 130 days.
An indigenous Latina who was born in Ecuador, Cory Maria Dack worked with a pair of other women paddlers to make the journey and highlight the need to bridge equity gaps in the outdoors for women broadly, and women of color specifically. In this episode Cory Maria tells us about her adventure, what she learned on the journey, and why canoeing and spending time on the water is a meaningful and effective way to build equity in the outdoors.
[2:43] Cory Maria Dack’s favorite outdoor space
[3:30] How she became someone who likes to go outside
[5:04] Going from not outdoorsy to canoeing queen
[8:20] The power of people who believe in you
[11:38] Why the Mississippi trip
[15:30] Do not “conquer” the Mississippi River
[17:00] What she expected and what she got
[21:00] What happened when it got really, really cold
[25:04] What it’s like to finish that kind of journey (hint: it’s emotional)
[31:29] Why canoeing and water are great for inclusivity work
[37:47] How you can get involved
[39:36] Cory Maria’s favorite outdoor moment
If you follow me you know I run. But what got me started is an entirely different story.
My first runs were done as a way to honor, remember and move with others through grief. Today it helps me move through everything.
When it comes to marking Memorial Day, taking purposeful steps forward is a powerful way to do it. In this episode you can hear some of my running back story and learn how you can commit purposeful steps to honoring a fallen service member whether you are a runner or not. Listen now!
[:36] The power of purposeful steps
[:55] Why I first started running
[1:10] You can see of our backstory in a documentary
[1:30] The ask that got me running
[2:10] Why I run now
[3:00] The importance of honoring
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode of Humans
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode of Humans
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. The following is an edited transcript of this episode of Humans