NAUTI WARRIOR: ELLA RAJALA

This week we are celebrating Ella Rajala as our Nauti Warrior! As someone who lives a very busy lifestyle, she makes finding balance look easy and truly embodies what it means to live Nauti. Here is a little glance into her day to day and how she keeps that smile on her face!

When life gets busy and stressful, how do you stay positive? 

I am a big believer in the little things of life bringing me the most joy. When I am stressed, sometimes things as simple as eating my favorite food or listening to a favorite song is all it takes to shake myself back into a clearer headspace. I also like to take a step back and look at my priorities as well as my motivation for why I do what I do. When I can recenter myself with a goal that is bigger than myself, I find a renewed sense of purpose and I am able to manage my stress significantly better.

What is your favorite thing about yourself?

I would have to say what I like the most about myself is probably my empathy. I like to think of myself as being in tune with the emotions of people around me, and I can easily put myself in their shoes and experience those same feelings. Looking at life in this way gives me such a genuine love for everyone I come into contact with, and is the driving force behind who I am. I will admit this does come with the side effect of being the most emotional reader and movie watcher I know, but I think it’s one of the qualities that will serve me best in my future healthcare career. 

How do you try to incorporate health and wellness into your schedule? 

The biggest thing I do for myself in terms of my health is making time to go to the gym at least 3 times a week. During the time that I am there I make sure to give it my all and not hold anything back, and I love the feeling of power that comes with lifting weights. If I cannot make it to the gym for some reason, I like to give myself little fitness challenges to do at home during study breaks (pushups are my go-to) to remind myself of the importance of moving my body. However, I am also in the process of honoring when my body needs rest, I have learned that when I push too hard without resting I burn out very quickly and my progress suffers. 

What does living well mean to you?

Living well to me means keeping both my body and my mind in such a place that allows me to experience contentment and peace every day in one way or another. I think living well involves a balancing work and rewards, as too much of either one can result in unhealthy habits.

Do you have a motto or quote you live your life by?

What I am currently trying to live my life by is the idea of “progress not perfection.” I am definitely a perfectionist, so it is often difficult for me to accept that not attaining perfection in everything I do does not automatically equal failure. Progress is such an achievement, it is a continuous representation of growth and perseverance towards being better now than before, which is really all I could ask for and want to see in anyone, including myself.

What is something you are looking forward to? 

I am looking forward to continuing to strengthen my relationships with my friends and with myself in the near future. My friends are the best support system I could ever ask for, and getting to develop deeper relationships with people I don’t know as well yet is always something I strive to do. I think that working on a good relationship with myself will bring me more confidence, in turn making me a better friend and support system to anyone who needs it as well.

How do you hope to see others live Nauti?

I would love to see others believing in their own self worth enough to invest in themselves, whatever that means to them. If it is meditation, going to the gym, adopting a healthier eating style, even retail therapy, the time we take pouring love and care into ourselves will only serve to make us more confident, composed, overall healthy versions of ourselves in the future.

Is there anything else you do besides being active that is good for you? Skin-care? Diet? Etc.

I am a very organized person in general, and I think that it is a huge factor in keeping my stress levels lower than they would be otherwise. I make checklists for everything I do, no matter how small, and having the satisfaction of crossing things off and making my list smaller keeps me motivated and encouraged when I have a lot going on. I also am a big smiler, I have a smile on my face for probably 60-75% of my day, and I think that having such a ready smile has allowed me to find more enjoyment in the little things every day, which overall keeps me positive and feeling good about whatever it is that comes my way. 

Thank you Ella for inspiring us and sharing how you stay Nauti :) Beta Rho is so lucky to have you as a sister!

~Brooke