I can hardly believe it: I am hitting 2,000 days in a row of my outdoor habit. That’s 2,000 days of spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside every single day, no matter the weather.

So what have I learned over 2,000 days? Unlike my 1,000 day mark, my 2,000th day is in the dead of winter. That means my three 2,000th day lessons are winter lessons — and they look a little different than the lessons found during the good summer weather.

[:35] Celebrating 2,000 days of my outdoor habit

[:48] It wasn’t exactly the goal

[1:06] This isn’t at all like my 1,000th day outside

[1:33] The difference between the things you learn

[2:00] What the lessons of other anniversaries show — and how this is different

[2:30] Lesson one: Knowing I can do hard things

[3:18] Lesson two: “I live in abundance”

[4:06] Lesson three: knowing the value of taking it slow

[5:07] How I’m marking 2,000 days outside

What would happen if you made room each week for one big adventure and one little adventure?

It’s a pretty simple concept: each week, purposefully do one small out of the ordinary, a “little adventure,” and one thing bigger that might take up to several hours, a “big adventure.” They don’t have to be outside. But they certainly can be.

In this episode Amy explains how she’s taking on the challenge, presented in Laura Vanderkam’s recent book Tranquility by Tuesday, how she’s tackling it, a unique spin she’s trying to put on it and the challenges and benefits of doing so. Listen now.

[:45] A little bit about Tranquility by Tuesday

[1:15] All about one big adventure, one little adventure

[2:10] Why I like this idea

[2:52] How this concept looks for me

[3:50] An expanded adventure idea

[4:40] A quick caveat about this

[4:55] My recent really big adventure

[6:30] A snowboard revelation

When was the last time you experienced a sense of awe in nature? Feeling awe is something many outdoor users chase. But can you even define the experience of awe? Or is it one of things where you just know it when you see it? Where can you best find it? And what are the benefits of spending time outside purposefully chasing the feeling?

Professor Dr. Dacher Keltner joins us in this episode to tackle those questions and more. Leaning on research and advice included in his new book “Awe: the new science of wonder and how it can transform your life,” Dacher guides us into an understanding of the what, how and why of chasing awe outside. Listen now.

Connect with this episode:

Read “Awe: the new science of wonder and how it can transform your life(affiliate link)

Visit Dr. Dacher Keltner’s website

Learn about the Greater Good Science Center

Join the Humans Outside Challenge
Follow Humans Outside on Instagram
Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[2:52] Dacher Keltner’s favorite outdoor space

[3:35] How Dacher became someone who likes to go outside

[6:47] Can we define awe?
[9:12] How to experience awe in ways that are not specific to going outside

[11:52] How the “eight wonders of life” are all tied to nature anyway

[13:34] Do humans have a need for wild awe?

[15:36] Why don’t we talk about the importance of awe?

[20:01] Can you create an awe habit?

[21:26] Is there such a thing as an awe muscle?

[23:34] What does noticing have to do with it?

[26:28] The difference between “awe” and “wonder”

[28:04] Tips for finding and keeping an awe habit

[30:18] Dacher’s favorite moment of outdoor awe

[2:52] Dacher Keltner’s favorite outdoor space

[3:35] How Dacher became someone who likes to go outside

[6:47] Can we define awe?

[9:12] How to experience awe in ways that are not specific to going outside

[11:52] How the “eight wonders of life” are all tied to nature anyway

[13:34] Do humans have a need for wild awe?

[15:36] Why don’t we talk about the importance of awe?

[20:01] Can you create an awe habit?

[21:26] Is there such a thing as an awe muscle?

[23:34] What does noticing have to do with it?

[26:28] The difference between “awe” and “wonder”

[28:04] Tips for finding and keeping an awe habit

[30:18] Dacher’s favorite moment of outdoor awe

It’s been three years since I launched the Humans Outside podcast in the early winter of 2020. It’s been an incredible ride of learning, growth and outdoor adventures for me as I’ve connected with 101 Humans Outside guests and recorded over 270 episodes. But what were some of the ones that have stuck with me the most?

In this episode I talk about my favorite takeaways from three years of Humans Outside, plus share how you can enter a giveaway I’m hosting to celebrate the Humans Outside birthday. Listen now!

[:50] What podcasting is to me

[1:17] What three years of this podcast means by the numbers

[1:46] What podcasting here means to me

[2:23] A few highlights of the interviews I’ve loved

[7:20] Info about the giveaway

The deep, cold, dark winter of the north is a unique experience that both challenges and inspires. On the one hand, it shows you things about nature and about yourself you’d never see in the long hours of warmer daylight. On the other, it carried a depth that at times feels insurmountable.

Among the winter enthusiasts and survivors are cyclists, people out there riding their bikes through, on and over the ice. They are part of a rich history of people not just exploring the Arctic under their own power, but leaning into the experience despite all the odds. In today’s episode writer and editor Jessica Cherry talks about the experience of cycling through Alaska’s winter. Listen now.

[2:56] Jessica Cherry’s favorite outdoor space

[3:45] How Jessica became someone who likes to go outside

[6:21] Jessica’s personal connection to cycling

[9:42] What is a “fat bike?”

[17:01] About Frank Soos

[18:58] The experience of recreating over winter in the arctic

[21:01] The surprising sound factor

[24:56] What people miss by not going outside in the winter’s darkness

[28:36] How being a climate scientist changes how Jessica experiences nature

[33:09] What Jessica learned from her book, Wheels on Ice

When so many outdoor adventures are or can be solo, when conquering big things is about your internal drive, why does community matter?

After attending a local workshop hosted by a semi-pro runner and friend, I’ve been thinking about why showing up for others and having them show-up for me isn’t just important, it’s life changing. Hear why in this Outdoor Diary episode.

 

[:56] The premise behind Humans Outside

[1:27] The benefit of community

[1:55] A reminder that is, obviously, related to running

[2:30] The ways it’s up to you alone

[2:46] But also it’s not only up to you

[3:57] How Denali Strable models this

[4:10] How Denali models the power of community

[4:30] Why this matters

[4:50] What I’m trying to do here

Life is full of opportunities for problem solving, for looking at challenges in a fresh way, for reshaping the landscape to peel out an unexpected solution. And what does it take to get there? Creativity.

You might be thinking about creativity as it relates to art, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Instead I mean the creativity found in how you approach the world. And heading outside? It has a measurable impact on boosting creativity if you take the right steps — often literally.

In this episode we dive into boosting creativity by heading outside in a conversation with Garry Pratt, a business coach, author and innovator around what he calls “outside thinking.” Listen now.

[3:07] Garry Pratt’s favorite outdoor space

[4:33] How Garry became someone who likes to go outside

[7:10] Garry’s “outside thinking” lightbulb moment

[9:01] What is “creativity?”

[11:59] What is “outside thinking?”

[15:06] Why is nature perfect for deep work thinking?

[21:00] Why walking in nature works for creativity

[24:24] The deal with 20 minutes

[28:00] All about 20:3:3

[31:00] Why it works for business thinking

[36:34] Does type of nature matter?

[38:55] A few tips for building your own outside thinking habit

[41:45] How to find Garry’s book

How do you feel about falling? Or, perhaps more importantly, how do you feel about getting up again?

One of the top lessons of Amy’s outdoor habit is the inevitability of falling and all of the lessons getting OK with it brings. Learning to fall and be OK with it has not only opened the door to trying and learning new things, but given her a better understanding of risk and recovery in her indoor life. Listen to this Outdoor Diary episode to learn more.

[:30] Braver and more courageous: a reminder

[1:45] The deal with learning to take risks

[2:00] The deal with falling

[2:41] Here’s what really matters

[2:52] The inevitability of falling if you’re ever going to learn something new

[3:30] Pro-tip about snow in your pants

[4:15] What if you did this instead?

[4:50] An important distinction

[5:15] How this feels during inside life

Ever seen that meme that asks “why do I live some in a place where the air hurts my face?” Heading outside in harsh conditions can feel like a personal attack that has your whole body and mind screaming “noooooooooo!” You want to want to do it, but you don’t. You know there’s no actual danger, but if feels like there is. You want to be someone who goes outside and does cool stuff, but you can’t figure out how to calm down that internal “nope” monologue.

So what can you do about it? In this episode Alaska-based mental health informed adventure fitness trainer Sarah Histand tackles the big question of dealing being kind to your nervous system while teaching it that, hey, heading outside for challenges big and small is a safe and even fun idea. Listen now.

[2:57] Sarah Histand’s (different from last time) favorite outdoor space

[6:10] How Sarah got into the subject of mind meets mountain

[10:53] Why going outside in harsh weather or for big challenges sometimes feels so very bad

[13:40] Why sometimes it feels totally fine and other times it feels totally not fine

[19:05] All about very individualized risk tolerance

[24:19] Steps for overcoming this problem

[25:13] Snacks and other comfort items

[30:54] Baby steps aren’t just for babies

[32:24] This is an everyone problem — not just beginners

[37:27] No comparing, please

[39:48] Learning to balance intuition with social pressure

[45:01] How to find more about Sarah

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