I’m going to let you in on a little secret about how I am always sure to stay true to myself…
1) I take a good sec and think about what I need. Is it rest? Is it fresh air / exercise? Is it adventure that I crave? Wait… what about all of the above? Then I order them in order of most important to me in that moment and least important.
2) Usually if I have to stop my day in the middle of it to think about what the heck I need in order to re-ground myself, rest is a huge priority. Sometimes I give myself permission to go hang in my room and read, and next thing I know I am dead asleep for an hour and a half and waking up at 3pm ready to kick the rest of the afternoon’s butt. (CRAZY-town for someone like me who usually can’t even fall asleep at night.)
3) If I am going stir crazy from too many hours of computer-gazing OR too many hours/days/weeks on end (let’s be real, it usually gets to this point) of running from meeting to meeting, then I know what I need is FRESH AIR. Not just exercise, but getting out of the hustle and bustle and breathing in the fresh mountain or beach air that only exists when you step just far enough away from the craziness of the city.
SO, a few days ago, I gathered up my beautiful intern Danika & we did just that — we hiked! In the beautiful, fresh, wide open air in Will Rogers State Park. It was seriously a phenomenal afternoon. We went on a Friday after my fun Livestrong photo shoot & it was so relaxing and re-energizing it basically felt like the weekend had already begun. (Even though I don’t really take weekends off, there is still a blissful relaxation quality to them that I kind of adore.)
And I will tell you that there is a little something extra rejuvenating about getting outside & hiking midweek compared to reserving it for a leisurely weekend activity. On the weekends, it seems like it should be part of our routines to relax & do something different. During the week, it seems a little rebellious and very woah-wtf-am-I-doing-right-now to get outside and do something totally non-work related. And even for those of you who do have a 9-5 or even a 9-10 (I get it- I have lots of crazy busy NY worker-bee friends!)– there is ALWAYS time to get outside. Whether that be at the crack of dawn or late at night instead of coming home to watch TV/make food/go to sleep– it’s all about those priorities, baby.
PS… This is what it’s like to intern for me, if you ever wondered. Hi Danika!
Something that made our mid-week rejuvenation hike EXTRA enjoyable & refreshing was… you guessed it — Bai 5 antioxidant infusion. If you’ve been around my bloggy for a bit, you already know that I am completely addicted & in love with it. They sponsored part of my app launch party by bringing their delish teas for all of my guests to sip on anded of course mix into their organic vodka. 😉
It’s not hard for me to choose a favorite flavor of Bai, because I am completely 100% obsessed with coconut everything. Their Molokai Coconut is a true addiction of mine. Excuse me while I profess my love: it is naturally sweetened, antioxidant-infused, gluten-free, low-glycemic, and only 5 calories per serving. Whaattt? Is that reality? Oh and it tastes amazing– duh. (PS check out the recipe on their site for the Molokai Cooler.)
So, in typical TBB fashion, I chugged the Molokai Coconut flavor before Danika & I really got the chance to take any pics on the real cam. Because, also in very TBB fashion, we left the nice camera in the car and had to improvise with photos at the end of the hike. (Thank god for iPhones taking pretty stellar photos in the clutch!) Except, since it’s LA and it’s GORGEOUS in Will Rogers State Park, our photos still turned out amazing.
PS… For the record, Danika’s favorite flavor was the Brasilia Blueberry. (Also unpictured via real cam, I’ll have you notice! I’m not the only addict around these parts.)
I’ll let the rest of the photos speak for themselves. Relaxation, beauty, hydration… Happy girl.
We also ran into an absolutely gorgeous horse on our way back down. Lily! She liked the Bai 5 too. 🙂
So… in a nutshell, how to stay true to yourself: ask yourself how you’re doing and what you need, take some time to reflect on how you will make that happen, and then take action. It’s ALL about taking action. And stay hydrated with yummy antioxidant teas while you’re at it. 🙂
How do you like to stay true to yourself? Are you an outdoor nut like me? Laughing at me for forgetting the nice camera in the car? (I would laugh, too!)