How to Build Confidence from the Inside Out

Are there any other women approaching thirty who are starting to feel insecure about aging? You begin to wonder if you’re no longer the young and fun one, and your mind goes down the rabbit hole of the ticking time bomb that warns you not to plateau physically, emotionally, sexually or spiritually.

But I’d like to know: Who says getting older needs to be scary or boring?

I believe we have the power to change the narrative of aging by adopting a mindset and a lifestyle that is less about dreading “settling down” and more about embracing “settling in”. Settling into your groove as a grown woman. Settling into a healthy lifestyle out of a genuine desire vs an obligation. Settling into your body and building confidence from the inside out.

It is a process in which you learn to function out of faith in yourself, not fear.

You allow yourself to beautifully and healthily age because you choose to replace the chaotic force of your scattered early-twenties with a collected confidence of knowing what you want, treating your body and mind right, and recognizing the good in your life.

So here are some ways I believe we aging young thangs can settle in-to a new life phase and be confident about who we are today.

Sleeping is not a weakness—it’s essential.

Let’s start with the basics. Sleep is essential for aging well. Getting a solid night of sleep allows both your brain and body to reset and reboot. Gone are the days of bragging about your all-nighters at some questionable warehouse party or rave. Sure, we can all look back and reminisce, but your body and memory will thank you for prioritizing sleep.

This is challenging in the age of social media where memes like “You have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce” exist. That is true, but most of us… don’t have a million dollars. If we want to earn a million dollars, we should be working smarter so we can make them millions in our sleep. Something to ruminate on… but the moral is, do your best to budget your energy and make time for quality sleep in order to be focused and on top of crushing all the things you want to accomplish during the day.

Embrace creative ways to enjoy eating healthy.

Eating healthy isn’t a new concept. For many of us, we grew up hearing how important it is to eat well balanced portions and not to forget about fruits and vegetables. However, as a young adult, there are so many new transitions taking place – paying rent and bills, deciding on a career, maneuvering relationships – that oftentimes nutrition takes a back seat. Feeding yourself can easily come to mean doing what is easy, convenient, cheap, and fast. If you’re lucky, you’ll acquire a knack for cooking as you get older, but that’s not the case for all of us—and even if you do learn to love it, cooking requires time and energy that can sometimes feel more like a luxury than a reliable part of your day.

I lead a very busy on-the-go lifestyle. I don’t always know when I’ll be home for meals so I rarely plan what I am going to eat too far in advance. This started to become a problem because I was running around town on pure adrenaline forgetting to eat until I could pop into a market and buy a power bar to sustain myself for another hour. Not only did this begin affecting my stress levels, but it also took a toll on my immune system.

Here I was, limiting what I could offer because I wasn’t taking proper care of myself. Younger me got away with that, but now I need to establish new habits to ensure my body is well equipped.

I’m happy to say that there are creative ways to incorporate healthy eating into your life that are way better than picking up a power bar or sad salad from the grab-n-go section of the grocery store. I’ve found Daily Harvest to be a great alternative for me. Daily Harvest is a customizable food plan built on organic fruits and vegetables that delivers chef-crafted food right to your door. Choose from more than 65 options like Smoothies, Soups, Harvest Bowls and more. Everything is frozen, pre-portioned, and ready in 5 minutes or less, so it makes it incredibly easy to be sure I’m eating enough fruits and veggies in a day without relying on pre-packaged convenience store salads or bars. I’ve been enjoying the Mango + Greens Smoothie to start my days fresh and my go-to comfort pick in the afternoon is the Tomato + Zucchini Minestrone Soup.

Since incorporating smoothies, soups, and bowls from Daily Harvest into my daily routine, I notice an increase in energy and consistent levels of fullness. Sure it might be a little quicker to grab a sugary protein bar on my way out the door, but I’ve noticed such a difference in the way my body feels when I’m getting the right nutrition and actually eating foods that are good for me. And just as important, I’ve noticed a general sense of calm when it comes to planning out what I’m going to eat throughout a busy week—since Daily Harvest is always on hand and so quick to prepare, I never find myself having to choose between feeling good and minimizing stress in the way that I used to.

Don’t guilt trip your body—lead an active lifestyle you enjoy.

Fads in the exercise world come and go, and in the age of influencers and Instagram models, it’s hard not to feel like you have to jump on the latest fitness craze. We are bombarded with ads and sponsored posts on how to look a certain way, but I’m finding it’s much better to settle into viewing exercise in a different light. Rather than focusing on trying to fit into the latest hot boutique fitness studio, I approach exercise by committing to living a more active lifestyle. I am interested in learning new skills such as rock climbing or boxing and going on long hikes or runs on the weekend.

I find myself less focused on the results of working out and more focused on enjoying activities that make my body feel strong. If you were someone who hit up every single Classpass studio but now find your priorities and time are more focused on work or family, allow yourself to release any feelings of guilt and find new ways for you to engage your body in an active way. Here are some suggestions:

• Queue up different YouTube playlists of your favorite quick workouts you can do before heading to work.
• Give yourself extra time in your schedule and opt for walking when you can. Great opportunity to clear your mind or listen to a new podcast.
• Organize outings with friends that focus on an activity (besides drinking). Go paddleboarding, try a ceramics class (great for your arms), or play a game of pickup basketball.

Protect your mind from negativity and embrace change.

Last but not least, I do believe one of the biggest ways to feel confident as you age is to protect your mind from any negative thoughts or influences. You can do that by embracing the changes that are happening. Whenever there’s a major shift in energy, there are bound to be challenges or resistance. That’s okay. It’s part of growing up to allow yourself the freedom of becoming confident with where you are in life right now.

Take caution of comparing your body or lifestyle to your younger self. Be grateful for the experiences you had but know that greater ones are to come. Tap into how good your body feels when you take proper care of it rather than running yourself into the ground trying to figure things out. And be patient with yourself. Approaching thirty doesn’t mean you’ll have everything together, but you should have the attitude that each new day is an opportunity for you to recognize how you want to lead the best possible life you can.

The more you pour into yourself, whether it’s getting proper amounts of sleep, adding healthier eating habits like ordering a Daily Harvest plan, learning a new hobby that moves your body, or giving yourself permission to embrace a new phase of life, settling in is a great practice for growing confidently into your thirties.

If you want to give Daily Harvest a try, get $25 off your first box using code MIKKI.