Hunger

• The winner of the reality TV show Alone Australia
  will need more than “survival skills” to succeed.
• They will also need to draw on a host of psychological strengths.
• Here’s what happens when you take away those social interactions, and some thoughts on who’s most likely to thrive.

Remind me, what’s Alone Australia?

• Over the coming days and weeks, they film themselves building a shelter, making fire, and finding food and water.
• Contestants were selected on the basis of having survival skills and a personality likely to be engaging on camera.
• Read more:
  Woman spends 500 days alone in a cave – how extreme isolation can alter your sense of time

Mental toughness is key

• Mental toughness is a group of personality characteristics originally identified in elite and successful athletes.
• Athletes higher in mental toughness tend to perform better.
• Can mental toughness be cultivated in the moment?
• When fatigued, mental toughness no longer predicts perseverance towards a difficult physical goal.

Combating loneliness is crucial

• Research highlights the difference between social isolation (lack of opportunity for social interaction) and loneliness (the distressing feeling that one’s social needs aren’t being met).
• A person can be socially isolated but not feel lonely or feel lonely even in the presence of others.
• Indeed, some people place high value on solitude and generally need less interaction to avoid loneliness.
• Even people who don’t prefer solitude can get creative about fulfilling social needs when people aren’t around.

How about awe and pride?

• But research also points to the potential benefits of positive emotions in this situation, such as awe and pride.
• And nature is a prime trigger of
  awe – the positive emotional experience when witnessing extraordinary things that are vast and complex.
• Awe is linked to a variety of beneficial outcomes, including higher self-reported wellbeing, physical health, critical thinking and humility.
• Specifically, savouring the moment is a documented strategy for intentionally increasing the experience of positive emotions such as awe and pride.

Are you a future Alone Australia winner?

• If you’re thinking of applying for future seasons of Alone Australia, you might be wondering if you have what it takes.
• You can develop mental toughness, your capacity to combat loneliness while socially isolated, and your ability to savour positive emotions such as awe and pride.

• In its ninth year continuously measuring growth and interest in camping and outdoor travel, KOA's industry-leading camping report broadens its scope to look more holistically at outdoor hospitality and its importance in the larger camping industry.
• In 2022, camping and glamping accounted for 32% of all leisure trips, making camping and outdoor hospitality a crucial travel segment.
• KOA's 2023 survey found that a hunger for new experiences, whether it's a specific type of camping, or a camping trip that includes a new or unique experience, is driving camping participation in 2023.
• To view additional findings from the 2023 North American Camping and Outdoor Hospitality Report, or view previous versions of the annual report, visit North American Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report .

• The Kenyan supreme court recently struck down a government decision to ban the registration of an LGBTIQ+ community rights organisation, sparking new homophobic rhetoric in the country.
• Lise Woensdregt and Naomi van Stapele, who have researched queer experiences in Kenya for nine years, explain the impact of this ruling.

What is the significance of the recent Kenyan supreme court ruling on a gay rights organisation?

• The Kenyan supreme court ruled on 24 February 2023 that the government was wrong to ban the LGBTIQ+ community from registering the National Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission.
• The commission celebrated this court ruling as a small but significant affirmation of its place in Kenyan society.
• The ruling, however, didn’t alter the Kenyan penal code, which criminalises sexual acts “against the order of nature”.

What have the political responses been?

• The Kenyan government has joined churches and mosques in their vitriol condemning not only the supreme court judges, but also LGBTIQ+ activists, organisations and citizens.
• Kenya’s deputy president Rigathi Gachagua added that the government wouldn’t “condone” same-sex relations, a sentiment shared by president William Ruto.
• Kenya’s first lady, Rachel Ruto, has also claimed that LGBTIQ+ people are a threat to the institution of the family.

Based on your research, what have you learnt about what it’s like for LGBTIQ+ people in Kenya?

• They have told us that the recent supreme court decision was a step towards decriminalising same-sex sexual acts and was cause for celebration.
• Unfortunately, the ruling unleashed vicious anti-LGBTIQ+ attacks targeting organisations, activists and citizens.
• In WhatsApp groups with family or work, people write anti-queer things, and you need to stay silent not to out yourself.
• In WhatsApp groups with family or work, people write anti-queer things, and you need to stay silent not to out yourself.

What can be done to empower queer individuals and groups in Kenya?

• As one queer activist told us:
  They eat with us, but when things get tough, we stand alone.
• This silence sends a dangerous message to the government and religious organisations: they can freely target queer individuals and groups without facing resistance or solidarity from the broader community.
• Promoting safe spaces and access to stable incomes on a collective level can create a foundation that empowers queer individuals and groups to fight for dignity and respect.
• Naomi van Stapele is affiliated with Minority Womxn in Action — MWA, a queer activist organisation in Kenya.

• Craft will showcase his impressive songwriting and vocal skills on the HITKOR stage May 5 beginning at 7:00 p.m. (PDT); all-access to red carpet festivities begins at 6:00 p.m.
• "Evan also shares in our passion to raise awareness around good causes and with HITKOR Kares, we're excited to team up with Evan for this important cause."
• Follow Craft, who has amassed more than six million followers, on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube and Spotify ; his website is http://www.evancraftmusic.com .
• For more information about the show, tickets and all-inclusive VIP experiences, visit HITKOR.com and follow @officialHITKOR on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .