Humans Outside - 268: Why Outside Challenges Like Harsh Weather Can Feel Bad and What to Do About It (Sarah Histand, mental health informed adventure fitness trainer)

268: Why Outside Challenges Like Harsh Weather Can Feel Bad and What to Do About It (Sarah Histand, mental health informed adventure fitness trainer)

01/19/23 • 46 min

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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.

Connect with this episode:

Learn about Ski Babes 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 Join the Humans Outside Challenge Follow Humans Outside on Instagram Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[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

Connect with this episode:

Some of the good stuff:

[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

Previous Episode

267 Outdoor Diary: What I Wear Outside in Cold Weather

One of the hardest things about spending time outside in all weather is figuring out what to wear to keep your body comfortable. After all, if heading outside is really uncomfortable, you’re simply not going to want to do it.

But what’s the best way to dress in cold weather? And what if you’re entirely new to this and just don’t know? In this episode, Amy lays out what she personally wears in cold weather and the different layers that work really for her body. 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] Why you might be thinking about this

[1:15] The great and generous thing about outdoor-minded folks

[1:34] I want you to be warm and happy

[1:54] A few caveats

[3:30] A rundown of what I wear for slow stuff on the bottom

[4:58] What I’m wearing on top

[6:00] The extremities

[7:30] What I wear while being active

[9:30] A final important step

Next Episode

269 Outdoor Diary: How Going Outside Taught Me to Be OK With Falling and Why It Matters

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.

Connect with this episode:

Join the Humans Outside Challenge

Follow Humans Outside on Instagram

Follow Humans Outside on Facebook

Some of the good stuff:

[: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?