10 Habits That Will Build Up Your Internal Strength

10 Habits That Will Build Up Your Internal Strength

Kristyn Meyer is on a journey to make herself the best human that she can be. These posts are a reflection of that. She welcomes your support via reading and through commissioned affiliate links within her posts! To stay up to date on all of her shenanigans, please subscribe to her email list! (psst…there’s a free gift involved)

There are a million and one different habits that you can develop to make your internal strength level-up. You can talk to anyone and they will give you a different suggestion. The choices out there are all over the place, and there are plenty to choose from.

With that being said, I have been putting in a crazy amount of work on myself in the past few years and I have discovered a set of items that truly help me to have a better amount of confidence and internal strength.

So I wanted to share them with you all. Because that’s what I do.

10 Habits That Will Build Up Your Internal Strength

Keep Things To Yourself. I’ve made this mistake too many times to count. You would have thought that after the first few times I would have learned, but that was not the case. I have repeatedly put out there for the world to hear all of my troubles and concerns. Having it out there in a blog format for others to learn from my mistakes is one thing, but being all dramatic and airing my dirty laundry on social media is quite another.

A few years ago I made the switch and analyzed why I wanted to share certain things online. Not only did it make me come across like an actual adult who can regulate her emotions, but it made me feel better about myself. I think it was the fact that externally I was presenting as more put together (even when internally I wasn’t) that made me feel stronger. It was along the lines of “fake it until you make it”. The simple act of showing up in one way even though I feel another way helps me to get on track more quickly. And it builds me up in the process.

In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.

Tony Robbins

Sleep. Guys, we have to do this. I don’t believe in the premise that to get to where you want to be you need to hustle 24/7. I am a big Gary Vaynerchuk fan, and he pushes this. But I don’t agree with it. The quality of the work is more important to me than the quantity. My brain does not work at full capacity when I am sleep deprived. I am much worse at parenting when I have less than optimal sleep. When I write on less sleep, it is trash.

I can tell when I am getting to the point of needing to call it a night when my thoughts are more emotional and I can’t speak reason into myself. This is about the time of night that I start petty arguments with others and eat a pack of Oreos. When I recognize it for what it is and just go to sleep, everything is of a higher quality when I wake up. You can make much better choices in general when well-rested. And that habit is pushed to the side far too often.

Successful people are simply those with successful habits.

Brian Tracy

Alone Time In Evenings. Truly, I think this is a key to success for my marriage. Every night after the kids go to bed, my husband and I go our separate ways. We get to do what we want. Most often, I watch TV shows that he doesn’t like and he plays video games. What I realized is that after a long day of taking care of kids, a house, a dog, myself, and working – I didn’t want to “take care” of anyone else but me. I didn’t want to compromise and watch something I didn’t want to watch. What I do want is to veg out and relax without interruption.

For me, that doesn’t take form in conversation and trying to agree on a show to watch or an activity to partake in. When I have time to myself, I get to recharge and rejuvenate. At times, we both may congregate back to the living room and decide to watch a show together, but it’s not expected of either of us. This helps so much. Previously it felt like spending time together was just another task or chore to complete during the day. Now it’s because we want to, not because we have to. And I can personally say that my self-care level is higher because of it.

There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs.

Zig Ziglar

Reading. I’ve talked before about how reading can help to lessen your anxiety. This is because it distracts you and your thoughts and provides a mental break. I think that it contributes to a higher level of internal strength as well. Knowledge is power, and reading provides that knowledge. Even if it isn’t a non-fiction book that has the sole purpose of teaching you something, you will learn. By reading a fiction book you can come away with learning something new fact wise (authors research a great deal for their writing) and have your vocabulary expanded. You can’t go wrong with reading.

Wouldn’t it be great to be gifted? In fact… It turns out that choices lead to habits. Habits become talents. Talents are labeled gifts. You’re not born this way, you get this way.

Seth Godin

Intentional Prayer/Reflection. I recently listened to a podcast that was centered around how to speak to God. My eyes were opened up in a way that they hadn’t been before. It helped me to realize how powerful quality prayer can be. It doesn’t matter who is on the other end of your prayers – we all have our beliefs. But just putting your emotions, hopes, and fears out there into someone else’s ear is therapeutic and builds you up.

I think a friend of mine said it best – it’s nice knowing that there is always somebody in your corner. Knowing that you are truly never alone and that there is someone available to listen to you at all times helps you to feel more whole and confident. Creating good habits in speaking out your reflections and worries is very freeing. And knowing there is someone on the other side of your thoughts is great for boosting internal strength.

You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.

John C. Maxwell

Exercise. I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but I will always take advantage of an opportunity to promote good, old fashioned exercise. It is so vital to your mental health and physical wellbeing! Is it always fun? No. But neither is showering, and we routinely do that. Exercising releases endorphins that boost our mood and help us to be more productive. Our internal strength benefits from this as well. When you exercise you will find that your frame of mind is more clear than it was before. Therefore, you can make more reasonable and sound decisions. Sounds like it could be a win all the way around, yeah? I think so.

A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time.

Mark Twain

Making Your Bed. As a kid, it was a requirement that I make my bed every single morning. It wasn’t so much a chore as it was a requirement for life. So naturally, as an adult, I rebelled. I never made my bed because my parents weren’t there forcing me to. I was a strong, independent adult and I could make my own choices, don’t you know! And while I doubt that me not making my bed is what lead to other disastrous choices and habits that I made in my young adult years, I have since realized that it may have helped.

A few months ago I realized that when I would walk into my bedroom and see the bed unmade, or the curtains closed, I would get instantly irritated. Why? I didn’t know. I hadn’t been in the habit of making my bed since I was a teen. And after noticing my irritation I still didn’t take time to make the bed either. I opened the curtains to let light in, but I didn’t take the initiative to make my bed. Even though it annoyed me that it wasn’t made. Day after day I would just turn to irritation when I would see that the bed didn’t magically make itself. It wasn’t like a wave of deep anger, it was just a flitter of annoyance as I passed through the room.

So then one day I just made it. Not really to try to make new habits, but just on a whim. And I felt an instant relief of….something. I have no idea what, I just know that I felt better. The next day I didn’t make the bed and was annoyed again. The third day I made the bed and again felt better. So then I kept it up. I noticed that the simple act of making my bed each morning made me feel like I somewhat had my shit together. Like, if I didn’t do anything at all today I can at least say I made my bed.

But I have noticed on the days that I do take one minute to make my bed I am more productive than the days that I don’t. You can tell if I am having a lazy day by the state of my bed. If it’s unmade, I am probably still in my pajamas and haven’t ventured far from the couch. If it’s made, I’ve probably done some cleaning, worked, and put on a bra.

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.

Octavia Butler

Put effort into your appearance. Speaking of a bra, if I put one on it’s almost like a switch. If I am without one, that means I am in unproductive time. Once the bra goes on, I have transitioned into productive Kristyn.

I used to sleep in a sports bra some nights because I would work out early in the day the next morning and it was just convenient. But I noticed that if I don’t wear it, and instead put it on shortly after waking up, it kickstarts my motivation to have a productive day. It’s almost a signal these days. When you see me with a bra on and contacts in, it means my day has begun. If you see me in actual clothes and perhaps some makeup, then the real business is going down. I can get a lot accomplished with just the bra and contacts, but real life is on the horizon when I go a step further and add in the makeup and clothes.

And it’s a bit of a confidence boost as well as a constant reminder that I have made efforts to have a productive day.

“Depending on what they are, our habits will either make us or break us. We become what we repeatedly do.”

Sean Covey

Healthy Diet. Gone are the days of me being able to eat whatever and not pay for it. In the past few years, I have noticed a change even mentally/emotionally when I eat foods that are not optimal for my body. My internal strength is affected by it. During times of practicing a good diet and nutrition and frequent working out, my mind and body seem to be more in sync. When I go on a vacation or just have a week where I eat what I want and not what I should, I pay for it. Not only does my body feel physically out of whack, but I notice a difference in my attitude, motivation, and mental health.

Just recently I also figured out that I have to strategically plan my foods that I eat first thing in the morning. I would typically start with a cup of coffee (with creamer) and then some cereal, bagel, or something else loaded with carbs. What I found was that I operate much better if I drink 25 ounces of water right off the bat, follow it up with some green juice, and then have coffee (with no creamer). If I have carb-heavy foods, I just feel blah. If I put creamer in my coffee, even just a tiny amount, it makes me crave sugary foods for the rest of the day. Which doesn’t bode well for everything else.

“I have learned that champions aren’t just born; champions can be made when they embrace and commit to life-changing positive habits”

Lewis Howes

Situational Walk-Through. Something that I learned to do a while ago was to walk myself through new situations that I was going to be undertaking. When I first went off to college, I went to the building before classes were set to begin and walked to where each class would be taking place. I wanted to make sure that I was able to locate the correct room on the first day and not be late for my first lecture.

It worked. And it also helped to alleviate some of my anxiety surrounding the new venture that I was undertaking. Because of the positive experience that I had from that I have utilized it in many different areas of my life. If I am going into a meeting I will walk myself through talking points that will be addressed and what my answers will be. When I am going on a vacation, I will walk myself through the different days of the trip to make sure that I pack accordingly.

What this does is affords me the ability to be prepared for what is on the horizon, and eliminates or decreases the fear and anxiety I may have. This, in turn, allows me to be more confident and possess more internal strength in new situations. It’s a win-win-win!

Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).

Stephen R. Covey

This is a list of items that have worked for me. I have developed them with many trial and error experiences and this select set has stood the test of time. However, I am always eager to incorporate new habits that may help me even more.

With that, what has helped you? What do you feel is a great habit to boost internal strength?

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