Humans Outside

196: What to Do When You Love Going Outside So Much You Want to Make It Your Job (Jenna Celmer)

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you love heading outside like it's your job, you might start looking for ways to make that literally true. If that's you, you're not alone -- it's ...

195 Outdoor Diary: The Value of Getting Outside Without Self-Judgment

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What are your expectations for yourself? For how you get outside? For what you find there? For what you do there? As the weathers changes into spring...

194: How to Use 'First-Hand Food' to Get Outside (Tamar Haspel)

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Spend enough time outside and you'll start to notice all of the things growing around you -- and that some of those things look delicious. From greens...

193 Outdoor Diary: Learning to Like the Weather You Hate

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We all have a type of weather we just really can't stand. But what if you paused to find a reason to at least appreciate it? What would you find? In ...

192 Best Of: Why 20 Minutes Outside Really is Perfect (Dr. Kathleen Wolf)

24 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've picked up an outdoor habit or are tackling the Humans Outside 365 Challenge, you may have puzzled over how much time you want to spend outsi...

191 Outdoor Diary: What to Do When You're Too Busy to Go Outside

22 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It happens: sometimes life is just busy. So how do you make time to go outside when you're busy? How do you keep it a priority? How do you fit it in? ...

190 Best Of: How He Finds His Unique Art and Creativity Outside -- and You Can, Too (Max Romey)

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

My favorite Humans Outside interviews are with people who teach me lessons so memorable that I find myself thinking about them months later when I'm o...

189 Outdoor Diary: Here's 2 Types of Help for Going Outside

15 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Just because nature is right outside your front door doesn't mean everything you want to do in it must be done alone or leaning only on your own exper...

188 Best Of: Here's the Scoop on Dog Racing and the Iditarod from Identical Twin Mushers (Kristy and Anna Berington)

10 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you know next to nothing about Alaska, you've probably still heard of the annual Iditarod sled dog race, where teams of mushers travel with th...

187 Outdoor Diary: You Don't Actually Have to Go All In

08 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been contemplating an outdoor habit, you may have fallen into a trap Amy constantly finds herself in: thinking you have to go all in. So wha...

186: Why Understanding Native American Astronomy Can Help You Go Outside (Carl Gawboy)

03 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Note: Human error got the best of me, and despite actually discussing with Carl during our interview (before recording) the difference between astrolo...

185 Outdoor Diary: When You Don't Want to Go Outside? That's When You Should

01 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bad attitudes and not feeling like doing something are just a part of life. So is facing conditions or circumstances that aren't fun or pleasant. And ...

184 Outdoor Diary: Finding Ways to Power Through Dragging Seasons

22 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How's the end of winter going for you? Across the northern hemisphere hints of spring are popping up, with daffodils and flowers pushing through the g...

183: How to Make Van Life a Part of Normal Outdoor Life (Kristen Bor)

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

"Van life." Sounds like something fancy for someone else, right? Someone who doesn't have a job, or commitments, or a family, or stability, or … or…...

182 Outdoor Diary: Dating In Nature and Why It Can Be Great but Also Terrible

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you take your date day outside? As Amy knows all too well, it can go horribly wrong or be really great. The difference? Communicatio...

181: How to Use Nature to Heal from Heartbreak (Florence Williams)

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever experienced a broken heart, you know how dramatically it can impact all aspects of your life. The ending of a relationship or loss of a...

180 Outdoor Diary: What I've Learned from 2 Years of Humans Outside

08 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Humans Outside podcast hits its two-year anniversary this week. Two years! That's two years of episodes with outdoor-minded guests who have taught...

179: How to 'Rewild' Yourself Even If You Live in a City (Claire Dunn)

03 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine this: you live in a city or very urban environment, maybe close enough to a major highway that you can hear it, or far away enough from a spac...

178 Outdoor Diary: Why Going Outside Makes It Easier to Try New Things

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Disliking new things doesn't make you weak or scared -- it makes you normal. But the good news is that nature is the perfect tool for teaching us to b...

177: How to Make Getting Outside with Kids Easier Than It Sounds (Heather Balogh Rochfort)

27 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Getting outside with kids looks pretty easy and fun if you're basing your expectations on social media photos. Delightfully grubby kids frolic through...

176 Outdoor Diary: 1,600 Days Outside Taught Me These 2 Things

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This month Amy hit 1,600 days in a row spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside. Along the way she learned two important lessons about what ha...

175: How to Use 'Nearby Nature' to Get You and Your Family Outside (Zenovia Stephens)

20 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the things that can hold people -- adults, kids, families and otherwise -- back from purposefully spending time outside is the idea that "natur...

174 Outdoor Diary: When Outside Time Doesn't Include Very Much Nature

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Outside is outside, but sometimes it's more nature-rich than others. Does that matter? In this episode of the Humans Outside Outdoor Diary Amy contemp...

173: Outside After Dark: Why and How to Try Stargazing (Vicky Derksen)

13 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about going outside every day, we usually mean in the daytime. But what if heading outside after dark for a little stargazing is just the...

172 Outdoor Diary: How to Go Outside When the Weather is Really Bad

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to head outside when the weather is great. It's even easy to plan to be outside in future bad weather from a seat on a sunny, warm day. But ...

171: How to Create an Outdoor Habit that Works for You (Sarah Hays Coomer)

06 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to know you want to make a change or even what kind of change you want to make. But how can you create a habit that actually works for you? ...

170 Outdoor Diary: Now Is the Perfect Time for Your Outdoor Challenge

04 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The New Year offers a natural starting point for launching a new challenge -- and has Amy reflecting on all the ways heading outside daily has changed...

169 Best Of: Here's Exactly How to Build an Outdoor Habit (Sarah Hays Coomer)

30 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Almost ready for the new year? If you're itching to kick-off a new habit -- maybe one of going outside every day -- or re-energize an old one, you nee...

168 Outdoor Diary: The Light Is Brightest When the Darkness is Greatest

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's the darkest time of the year in the northern hemisphere, but that doesn't mean light can't be found. In fact, the light is easier to find in time...

Here Comes Humans Outside Season 5

23 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So you want to create and keep a daily nature habit. You love being outside -- or at least enough to know that it's something you crave more of. And n...

167 Best Of: How Heading Outside Helps You Love Where You Live (Melody Warnick)

16 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you've ever heard me talk about my small town here in Alaska, Palmer, you know that I don't just like where I live, I love it. And a lot of that is...

166 Outdoor Diary: How Going Outside Taught Me to Adore Where I Live

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing demonstrates the way Amy loves where she lives in Alaska the way the annual holiday festival in her small town does. Spending that full day ou...

165 Best Of: The Secrets to Making the Best Coffee Ever Outside (Tim Gravel)

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This Best Of Humans Outside episode features Tim Gravel talking about the secrets of making awesome coffee in the wild. Tim is the co-owner of Kaladi ...

164 Outdoor Diary: The Value of Choosing the Hard Thing Outside

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As if heading outside to begin with isn't a big enough challenge, we are often faced with the decision of whether or not to face an even bigger challe...

163 Best Of: How to Dress for Cold Weather (Mollie Foster)

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Here at Humans Outside we practice getting outside every day for 20 minutes no matter the weather -- and that means sometimes we go outside when it's ...

162 Outdoor Diary: The Art of Creating Holiday Traditions Outside

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you insert heading into nature into your holiday traditions? That's the question Amy tackled as her family spent their second Thanksgiving in a...

161: I've Got a Challenge for You (No, Really)

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are you ready for the Humans Outside 365 Challenge? Amy has exciting news about a new challenge kit to help you along the way. Ready to head outside? ...

160 Outdoor Diary: How to Make Yourself Go Outside When It's Cold

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The weather may have taken an unusual turn in Alaska, but that isn't stopping Amy from getting in her 20 minutes outside every single day. But just be...

159: How to Get Kids Outside All Winter Long (Sara McCarty)

18 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you're trying to establish or maintain an outdoor habit around kids, big or little, you know the struggle is real. And it's especially difficult wh...

158 Outdoor Diary: Learning to Hear What You Need Through Nature

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It can be difficult to hear what your body and soul need when life gets really hectic or the long days stack up. Building that outdoor habit and headi...

157: Why Heading Into Nature Helps Veterans (Lornett Vestal)

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know how we feel about veterans using nature to heal from the wounds of war. After all, helping Luke deal with the hidden injuries from service wa...

156 Outdoor Diary: Sticking With New Things Outside Even When They're Hard

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As the season changes from fall to winter, Amy and her family are tapping into seasonal activities -- and remembering that they're still very bad at t...

155: How to Use Light to Deal with the Winter Blues (Dr. Michael Terman)

04 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's a familiar feeling for many of us over the winter months: the light fades, the darker days settle in and your mood dips. It can feel hard to get ...

154 Outdoor Diary: Building Outdoor Time Into a Busy Travel Schedule

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You might find yourself traveling again for work or otherwise after many, many months of staying home. You've gotten into a home-focused routine, and ...

153: What Opting Out of 'Should' Has to Do With Heading Outside (Cait Flanders)

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It started with a year-long shopping ban and a decision to downsize. But like so many big life changes, the decision to shift who she was and how she ...

152 Outdoor Diary: Getting Outside When You Don't Feel Like Getting Outside

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do if you just don't feel like going outside? How do you talk yourself into it? This week Amy was dealing with a nasty cold and just wasn'...

151 Finding Your 'Why' In Nature: Here's How He Did It (Mikah Meyer)

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today, LGBTQ outdoor advocate Mikah Meyer is known for his work representing his community and advocating for inclusion in nature. But that hasn't alw...

150 Outdoor Diary: The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Who We Are

19 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We all tell ourselves stories about ourselves. Sometimes they're true, sometimes they're not. Whatever the case may be, don't let any story stand in t...

149: How a Pee Cloth Is Making One Small Step for Inclusivity (Anastasia Allison)

14 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

I know what you're thinking. "What is a 'pee cloth?'" And, maybe, "do I want to know?" And possibly also "gross." If you've ever been a woman trying t...

148 Outdoor Diary: I Just Hit 1,500 Days Outside, and I Still Need the Habit Push

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is there ever a time that keeping a habit with intentionality and focus is simply easy? Amy hit 1,500 days outside this month, and she noticed that th...

147: The Why and How of Using Nature to Ditch Addiction (Emily Holland)

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There's something about getting hooked on nature that can help you move past the things that are stealing or numbing your ability to experience life. ...

146 Outdoor Diary: Is Being Uncomfortable Outside Actually Worth It?

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When things outside are absolutely miserable and you're in the thick of it, what do you do? Do you stick it out? Is it worth it? Why even bother? In t...

145: Does Getting Bored in Nature Make You Happier? (Michael Easter)

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When the boredom first set in as he sat in the middle of nowhere for more than 30 days during a caribou hunt on the arctic tundra, Michael Easter look...

144 Outdoor Diary: When You're Feeling Sad About Seasons Changing

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Been feeling in a bit of a funk recently? Grumpy about summer ending or winter approaching? Even if you love fall, it can be a way too short a bridge ...

143: How to Create and Keep Family Nature Goals (Melody Forsyth)

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Making heading into nature a regular habit takes purpose and focus. Add in small children, and you just amped-up the amount of planning you have to do...

142 Outdoor Diary: When Outside Time Intentionality Gets Rotten

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you take the idea of "intentionality" and steer it completely wrong? We know that being intentional is one of the most important key...

141: Why 10 Minutes of Focus Can Help You Keep an Outdoor Habit (Christina Dunbar)

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know that intentionality is the foundation of keeping any habit, challenging or not. But maybe we're overthinking this whole thing. What if there ...

140 Outdoor Diary: Join Me for 52 Hikes Over the Next Year

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amy is a sucker for a new challenge, but this is one worth doing. Between now and September 2022 she's going to do 52 hikes as part of the 52 Hike Cha...

139: The Secret Sauce for Your Outdoor Habit (Karla Amador)

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Amy started her daily outdoor habit in 2017 she had no idea there was a whole world of others already tackling an outdoor effort of their own, fo...

138 Outdoor Diary: I've Gone Outside Every Day for Four Years

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's been four years since Amy started her daily outdoor habit. In this episode of her weekly outdoor diary, Amy reflects on how keeping that habit ha...

137: What I Learned from Spending 20 Minutes Outside Every Day for 4 Years

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

136 Outdoor Diary: How Do You Make Yourself Go Outside?

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

135: (Best Of) How to Use the Outdoors as Therapy (Judith Sadora)

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What's the difference between wilderness therapy and just, well, going outside? Judith Sadora, a licensed therapist based in Oregon, practices wildern...

134 Outdoor Diary: How Spending Time Outside Made Me Love My Small Town

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

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

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Sh...

132 Outdoor Diary: How I Used Nature as a 'Container' for Big Feelings

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 podc...

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

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ra...

130 Outdoor Diary: What Failing My Race Taught Me About Having a Growth Mindset

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 Pa...

Here Comes Humans Outside Season 4

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

128 Outdoor Diary: This Summer I Made Time for This New Outdoor Tradition, and It Was Great

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When a podcast guest for the upcoming Humans Outside Season 4 suggested a new outdoor tradition she has with her kids, Amy knew she had to do it. Now ...

127 Outdoor Diary: The Surprising Lessons Nature Gave Me About My Marriage

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk about all of the benefits of heading outside and the things you can learn there, but what can it teach you about your relationships? In this e...

126 Outdoor Diary: Does the Story You're Telling Hinder Your Time Outside?

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever stopped to think about the stories you tell yourself about who you are in the world -- or about how they change how you approach time in...

125 Outdoor Diary: 1,400 Days of My Outdoor Habit Has me Standing on the Edge of Something Large

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After marking her 1,400th day of spending at least 20 consecutive minutes outside, Amy is thinking about the gifts of nature and how it has brought he...

124 Outdoor Diary: Using Nature to Make Relationships Better

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk a lot about getting outside to improve our lives, but what about using it to make our relationships better? Did you know heading outside is a ...

123 Outdoor Diary: How to Keep the Summer from Running You Ragged

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Summer and sunshine are great until you get so excited about them that you lose the focus on the peace heading into nature gives you. It's so easy to ...

122 Outdoor Diary: Will I Ever Learn to Have a Good Attitude About Challenges?

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We know so much about success is determined by having - or not having - a good attitude. So why is it so hard to learn? In this episode Amy talks abou...

121: Our Best Stories of the Animal Encounter Kind

27 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We spend a lot of time talking about getting the most from nature as humans outside. But we share this big, wide world with a whole host of living thi...

120 Outdoor Diary: Conquering the Fear of Literally Falling

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do you tackle an outdoor activity or sport that scares you? If you're Amy, you probably avoid it until confronted with the truth that you are not ...

119: How to Make Nature Your Fix Right Where You Are (Florence Williams)

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

After a year focused for better or worse on only the nature within our bubbles, Florence Williams has learned a thing or two about making the most of ...

118 Outdoor Diary: How We Renovated Our Coachman Camper Van

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

They're calling it -- the van project is done! (Is a van project ever actually done?). After buying a 1997 Coachman Ford E250 Econoline van in Septemb...

117: This Doctor Literally Prescribes Going Outside. Here's Why. (Dr. Suzanne Bartlett Hackenmiller)

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've all heard it: going outside is good for you. We also know from experience that's true. From improved health thanks to exercise to simply feeling...

Outdoor Diary: How to Build Your Summer Around Spending Time Outside

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's finally nice outside, but you're still just as busy as ever inside. If you're anything like Amy, you've noticed that you are getting nowhere near...

115: What To Do With Kids in National Parks (Chris Rief)

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of the best things about U.S. national and state parks is how accessible they are to every kind of user. Kids to Parks Day, organized by the Natio...

114 Outdoor Diary: The Power of Nature in Seasons of Busy

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This time of year can be absolutely crazy as the season shifts. Projects and tasks seem to overlap. And it can be easy to forget the power of heading ...

113: All About Our Big Obsession the National Park Cancellation Stamp Program (Yvonne Manske)

29 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Before Amy really started to learn how to get outside and long before her 20-minute daily challenge, she discovered the National Parks cancelation sta...

112 Outdoor Diary: Keeping Your Outdoor 'Why' In Mind

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When was the last time you paused to remember why you head outside? In this Outdoor Diary, Amy talks a little about her book project and remembers her...

111: Why These Park Users Are All About 'Experience' and Think You Should Be, Too

22 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You've probably been to a few National Parks. You might have even spent some serious time there. But have you actually truly experienced the ones you'...

110 Outdoor Diary: A Van Remodel Update, and Maybe It's Spring Now

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's remarkable how a single day of nice weather can impact attitudes -- and Amy is no different. In this episode of the Humans Outside weekly Outdoor...

109: She's Visited (Almost) Every U.S. National Park. Here Are Her Tips (Linda Mohammad)

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Linda Mohammad immigrated to the U.S. from Malaysia it was not with the plan of visiting all of the country's National Parks. But that's exactly ...

108 Outdoor Diary: Hunting for the Good and a Change of Perspective

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes everything in normal life just seems harder than it should be. But for that we have a change of perspective gifted by heading outside, looki...

107: Why 20 Minutes Outside Really Is Perfect, Plus Other Ways to Better Your Outside Times (Dr. Kathleen Wolf)

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 minute...

106 Outdoor Diary: Pausing to Remember the Good Things in a Season

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Winter seems to be just dragging on and on in Alaska, and to pull herself out of a late-winter funk, Amy spent a week reminding herself about the thin...

105: Using Local Flowers Indoors to Connect With Nature Outdoors (Ben Cross)

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When Ben Cross took over his family's UK-based flower farm, he faced an uphill battle of competing against the cheaper flower imported from overseas i...

104 Outdoor Diary: I've Spent 1,300 Days Outside. Here's Some of What I've Learned

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hitting 1,300 days in a row of heading outside for at least 20 consecutive and starting work on a book proposal has Amy thinking about the gifts of bu...

103: How Going Outside Helps You Forgive (Sara Schulting-Kranz)

25 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've spent years thinking about and experiencing going outside impacts your life. But we never once realized that getting into nature would help us l...

102 Outdoor Diary: Making the Most of Spring Sunlight

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How are you embracing spring? In Alaska it means marking the Vernal Equinox and finding ways to lean into those bright spring sunshine hours. Hear in ...

101: These Are the Happiest Outdoor Users and How You Can Be One (Hetty Key)

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hetty Key was so curious about how people experience the outdoors and what it does to their lives and attitudes, that she started her own research com...

100: Outdoor Diary: How We Add Nature to Every Birthday Celebration

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One thing you may not know about Amy is that she hates birthday parties. Like, cannot stand them. In this outdoor diary, find out what the Bushatz fam...

99: How Heading Outside Makes Your Brain More Creative (Cordele Glass)

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

So often when we think about heading outside, we think about what it's doing for our body and emotions -- how we feel. But time in nature and, specifi...