February 20, 2022
Editor: Haley Gagerman
Artist: Sydney Newman
A few weeks ago, a friend told me that I “just had to” follow @itsmetinx on Instagram. I rolled my eyes and begrudgingly clicked the follow button, reluctant to believe that Tinx would be anything other than another account to unfollow in a few months.
Yet, to my surprise, Tinx had me utterly captivated within days. Each morning, I found myself waking up with a nagging excitement to see what she had posted while I was asleep. I grew to love her unique groundedness: how open she was to giving her followers advice about anything and everything, and how it felt like I was having a conversation with my brand new 31-year-old older sister. Soon enough, I was obsessing over her glossary of made-up terms, with my immediate favorite being her concept of “Rich Mom Energy.”
Rich Mom Energy, as coined by Tinx, is a lifestyle filled with confidence, fun, and productivity. The concept began when the influencer started taking walks as an outlet to aid her creative writing and, ultimately, found that this time to herself completely boosted her confidence in both her writing and creativity. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine, she mentions Adele and 7:00am power walks (completed with wrist weights, of course) as examples of the aura achieved in the practice of Rich Mom Energy. You do not need to be rich or a mom to benefit from this attitude because, as Tinx preaches, this manifestation works for anyone willing to try. In the long run, embracing Tinx’s Rich Mom Energy, even if only for a few minutes every day, has the sensational capability to transform someone’s self worth, ultimately illustrating that confidence stems from within and simply believing in yourself is half the battle in the quest for self-assurance.
The influencer takes at least one walk a day — either by herself or with a friend — dedicated to channeling Rich Mom Energy, swearing that spending these few minutes on herself has the power to adjust her attitude for the rest of the day. In the practice of these walks, she is simultaneously exercising the act of self-care; as she takes time to invest in herself, she reaps the benefits of organization, growing confidence, and time away from a screen. Taking the time to put the phone down and organize her goals instantly makes her feel capable of accomplishing them which, in turn, boosts her confidence. From there, it only becomes a matter of achieving her aspirations.
Inspired by Tinx’s success, I decided to try and incorporate Rich Mom Energy into my own life. At the time, sorority rush was quickly approaching, and I felt desperate to find a way to escape my anxious thoughts. So, in typical Tinx fashion, I put my AirPods in and walked out of my apartment, drowning out the noise of bustling Ann Arbor with Taylor Swift (obviously) in an attempt to focus on myself. At first, it was difficult to narrow down what I wanted to manifest but, as I asked myself specific questions about my goals, I started to feel that what were once figments of my imagination crystallized into specific plans of action.
To bring Rich Mom Energy into your own life, start by dedicating one walk a day (on the way to class, home from dinner with a friend, on the way to a party) to focus on you! Make a playlist filled with artists that boost your happiness, tune out the world around you, and prioritize yourself. Even if this time is not focused on your goals for the future, taking time to think about yourself and to be selfish ultimately gives you the control to choose the path of your life. When I started my Rich Mom Walks, I realized how little time I took for myself each day. Following Tinx has taught me that taking my life into my own hands, in effect, has the ability to improve how I feel about myself and my place in the world.