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Porch Sitting: Simple Steps to Stronger Communities · Talking FACS

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  Welcome to Talking FACS, what you need to know about family,
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  food, finance, and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized, award-winning podcast is hosted by the University
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  of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals, families,
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  and communities to improve quality of life.
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  One of my favorite places to be in the summertime is on the front porch,
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  probably because I have so many memories of peaceful summer evenings on my grandparents' porch.
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  Welcome to Talking FACS. I am your host, Mindy McCulley, Extension Specialist
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  for Instructional Support.
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  We have news you can use to help you slow down, connect, and enjoy the simple things in life.
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  Today, we're talking about the joys of porch sitting, from rocking chairs to
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  the sounds of passing cars and friendly waves, exploring how this simple tradition
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  can support mental well-being and strengthen community connections.
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  My guest today is Dr. Monica Mundy, Assistant Extension Professor and Community
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  and Family Health Specialist. Welcome, Monica.
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  Aw, welcome. Thank you for having me. So, porch sitting.
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  We talked before we started recording. We both love to do that. Yeah, you know, we do.
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  And one of my fondest memories with my grandma is sitting on her back porch and
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  it's just raining and we've got bushels and bushels of,
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  green beans and we're just stringing them and you know having a good time and
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  so you know front porches are really a bridge I like to think between our home
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  and our communities and they're private and safe enough that we feel comfortable,
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  but they give us that opportunity to interact and connect with the community around us and
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  like I mentioned it's been something that you know and you mentioned it too
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  that's just been around for generations and something that we do,
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  a little thing that we do, that we may not always think about how it impacts us for the better.
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  And it really is that connection that matters. There's lots of research that
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  shows that people who feel connected to their communities are more likely to
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  report better health and just in general, better,
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  life satisfaction, higher life satisfaction.
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  And so our front porches kind of give us that opportunity to build a little
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  trust, a little familiarity in our communities, but also to have that sense of belonging.
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  Well, and I know, you know, even as I walk through my neighborhood,
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  I love waving at whoever's sitting on their front porch and having that connection. And.
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  We have as neighbors. So I particularly appreciate the front porch.
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  But how can spending time on our front porch benefit our health and well-being?
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  Because that's probably something people don't think about. Oh,
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  for sure, right? It can support both our mental health and our social well-being.
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  We know that just being outdoors, even just briefly for short periods of time,
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  can reduce our stress and improve our mood, right? So it really gives us and
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  creates that opportunity to be able to do that.
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  And also the social connection, right? We know that a social connection is one
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  of the strongest predictors of our health.
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  In fact, research shows that people with strong social relationships have a
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  50% greater likelihood of living a longer life, of survival,
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  compared to those that have weaker social connections.
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  And, you know, I love both my facts.
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  Even the Surgeon General has reported that loneliness and isolation are associated
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  with increased risk of health issues like stroke, depression, even dementia.
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  And so even though it seems like a really simple step, right,
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  it can help create those important connections. It's a beginning point.
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  Yes, a hundred percent. I get, because as I mentioned, when I walk the neighborhood,
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  I see who's out on their porch.
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  And when I miss someone, you know, I.
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  I'll check in on them. And, you know, one of the great things about getting
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  outside and on your porch is that it doesn't require a lot of planning.
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  Exactly. I know. It's one of those things when we talk about getting outside
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  or being physically active in our family, we're so busy that,
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  like, we don't have time to fit things in.
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  And so it could just be as simple as taking 10 or 15 minutes and maybe having
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  your morning coffee on the porch or going outside and reading a book,
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  letting the kiddos play, you know, while you,
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  relax and talk to your neighbors, just like you said, and have a nice moment, right?
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  The goal really isn't to create big events, but it's just to be present,
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  right, and be visible in your community and just take the moment to head outside.
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  My grandmother was the porch sitter extraordinaire, and her sister lived about six miles down the road.
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  Grandma would be out on the porch you know watching the the traffic go by and
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  she would see her nephews you know drive through and then she'd call her her
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  sister and say the boys are headed home you know,
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  so she she was like that watchdog and and she let everybody know what was going
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  on you know through what who were passing up and down the road,
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  So I know that porch geese are that simple icon that is so appropriate for our communities.
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  And they've really made a comeback.
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  And what's the appeal to these little concrete geese?
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  Yeah, you know, and it's one of those things that may sound a little silly,
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  but they're making a fierce comeback. It kind of feels nostalgic in some ways.
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  And so, like, I know lots of other people probably remember seeing them.
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  But I remember seeing them on people's porches all the time.
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  And now, you know, people are starting to dress them up for holidays or events.
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  I've seen so many little UK porch geese with their little jerseys and things.
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  And it's a great way, like, to take a tradition, right?
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  Kind of a symbol and start to create that conversation and sense of community.
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  I know one of the things that my son and I like to do is to walk around our
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  neighborhood to look at all the Portuguese and see what their fashions are,
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  what they're wearing now.
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  And it makes such a great conversation starter for, you know,
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  chatting with our neighbors and visiting. And I think it is just a great example
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  of something that may be a little hokey, a little silly, right?
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  But that's pulling people together and giving the opportunity to have these
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  small exchanges, just like you said, checking in on your neighbor,
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  you know, leading into how are you doing?
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  But that can lead to these moments that have a bigger impact.
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  Oh, yes, definitely. We could have a Portuguese fashion show, couldn't we?
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  Oh, my goodness. So true. So what is just one thing, one simple thing that listeners
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  can do this week to help build stronger connections in their neighborhoods? Yes.
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  Yeah, just pick a day and, you know, maybe go sit on your front porch for 10
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  or 15 minutes and spend a little time there.
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  And if you see someone walking by, just offer a wave or a hello.
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  And, you know, that may sound small, but it's those simple interactions that
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  start to really build that community connectedness.
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  And, you know, most of the time building community doesn't just start with like
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  a huge, big, grand gesture, right?
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  It's those small little things, those kind of repeated interactions that you
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  have with your neighbors that really build that trust and support.
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  I love it. And today we really took a moment to appreciate the joys of porch
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  sitting, a simple practice that can help us recharge, reflect, and reconnect with,
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  our neighborhood, and the larger world around us. Monica, as always,
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  thank you for joining me. We always have fun when we chat.
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  We do. Thank you for having me. If you enjoyed today's conversation,
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