Friday Five: Ways to #FeelAmazingEveryday

I often get told that I’m a pretty happy person. That I’m optimistic. That I’m energetic. This is often paired with a question: “How do you do it?!”

It’s not easy. I have multiple jobs that leads to a busy, hodge-podge schedule. I teach yoga at two studios, I manage at one of those studios, I work for a marketing company, and part-time for lululemon. My jobs all call for fun, high energy. I am also an ambassador for Seattle-Portland Yoga + Life Magazine. I run, spin, hike, and do yoga throughout the week. I love to travel and explore. Oh, and I have tons of amazing friends I try to see or connect with on a regular basis. I have family that lives on the east coast that I’m close to and need to maintain that connection. So how do I balance all of this? How do I exert so much energy and maintain my sanity? How am I happy more often than not?

Here are 5 ways I’ve discovered to #feelamazingeveryday!

1. Sweat. Every. Day.

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Photo cred: Kate Daigneault

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” Elle Woods was on point! I can’t tell you how many moods and stressful thoughts I’ve shaken off with a good sweat session! Whether it’s a 20 minute walk to the coffee shop, a 75-minute kick-butt yoga class, or a 6 mile trail run, getting my body moving and sweating it out helps release any tension and stress while allowing my overanalytical mind to calm down, too!

Get out in nature!

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A subset of gettin’ sweaty would be to get out in nature for your sweating! Turn off your phone, surround yourself with the sounds of woods and waves, bask in sunshine. Serious healing powers…

Also give yourself and your body a chance to rest!

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This is one I very much struggle with, but I think I’m doing better and better. Take the time to stretch, meditate, get 8 hours of sleep, whatever it is for you that helps your body enter a state of “rest and digest,” the state of healing. Trying to get a sweat in every day doesn’t mean push your body past it’s edge. I’m always looking for ways to destress that don’t involve running and other high every activities.

2. Surround yourself with people that push you AND support you

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Jamie challenged me to “crow on her” while also literally supporting me in this pose!

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I have an incredible support network around me. Friends that push me to challenge myself physically, but then also push me to take my much-needed rest days. People that let you cry and then tell you to buck up. People that adventure the world and veg on the couch with me, that do three activities before breakfast and then read on the beach for hours with me. Family that is there for me. Coworkers that inspire me. Find your people, your tribe, your network.

3. Eat good food!

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Photo cred: Jamie King

Eating good food has not been difficult in Portland. All the restaurants, coffee, wine… It’s really quite amazing! What can be hard is to eat well, yummy, and quick! Sometimes I have time to pick up a juice or quinoa bowl on the run, or to even sit down for a meal (I’ll leave it up to interpretation as to whether I’m eating out or cooking). Sometimes not. In those cases, things like Amazing Grass comes to the rescue! Smoothies and shakes made with their Protein Superfood mix organic plant-based protein and nutrient-rich fruits and veggies with the amazing taste of chocolate and peanut butter! It definitely kicks my day off the right way!

4. Be silly and have fun!

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“Life must be lived as play.” -Plato

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Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. The brilliant person who said this absolutely had the right of it! Having fun and being silly is quite honestly the best thing there is to feel happy. Whether it’s playing out on the water or in a tutu, making silly faces or hearing a joke, whatever it is that naturally causes a smile to come across your face and makes your belly hurt from laughing? Do that!

5. All it takes is one thing every day!

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A classmate from college reached out to me a couple of years ago, asking for advice. He loved that I was in Colorado skiing and traveling. He wanted my opinion on how he could make similar changes in his life while not making the big move I did as he was in an intense grad school program. The thing I’ve discovered in my 20-something years is that not every moment is a life changing, at-the-top-of-a-mountain, I’ll-remember-this-forever moment. Work, bills, mechanic appointments, health insurance phone calls, basically adulting all has to happen, too. Periods of intense pain, grief, and heartache are inevitable. But every day you can have something to look forward to, that makes you happy. Whether it’s a run on your lunch break, a happy hour date after work, your cup of coffee first thing in the morning, or puppy snuggles. Or maybe it is that day that you’re on top of a mountain with a 360-degree view. But have something! Not every day is going to be vacation. So planning for vacation and the weekend is awesome, but you don’t want to only live for those times. Having something fun and to look forward to every single day is going to help you be happy and feel amazing every day!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Amazing Grass. All opinions are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Sweat Pink community!

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