You Need a Third Space; the Power in Expanding Your Energy

Using the Third Space to Expand Your Power, Confidence, and Presence

By Jenny Smith Mattfeldt

Published February 18, 2026

work. home. errands. couch.

If those are the only places you consistently exist, you’re making your life smaller than it needs to be.

Not because you’re lazy. Not because you’re unmotivated. But because you’ve let your world shrink to functional spaces.

A “third place” is exactly what it sounds like — not home, not work. But a third space you go to regularly that expands you. Some place that breaks up the energy.

When your entire life rotates between productivity and recovery, your identity gets boxed in. Add a phone to the mix with perceived digital connection and it can make it hard to want to be anywhere other than the couch in your free time.

Women especially — ambitious women, leveling-up women, young moms rebuilding identity — cannot thrive inside a two-location life.

Third spaces expand your energy. And when your energy expands, so does your power. If you’ve been cycling between work and home on autopilot, this is your sign to change the vibes. Here are eight third spaces that will shift your presence this week.

The Challenge

Pick one third place, just one, and go once a week for the next month.

Same place. Same time if you can. Let your nervous system recognize it. Let your identity attach to it.

You don’t need to become a different woman overnight. You need to become a woman who exists in more than two rooms. Watch what shifts.

Hit Your Third Spot

Before you pick your place, a note: I’m not talking about your regular Starbucks on the corner. These places are about existing in elevated environments where your future self would naturally be. Places that makes you feel elevated. Sexy. Powerful. Like you’re stepping into a slightly expanded version of yourself just by walking in.

Rooftops

Your weekend or midweek perch. Coffee, notebook, a friend and a cocktail or just yourself. There's just something about a rooftop that changes the energy; posture, mindset, confidence. You're above it all.

Museum or Gallery Lounge

It could be looking through the exhibits but don't overlook the café, connected libraries, live performances. Step in, sit, breathe it in. Surrounded by art, intellect, and the appreciation of beauty.

The Hobby That Used to Light You Up

Take a second to think about what truly lit you up when you were 16. Riding horses? Find a barn. Sports? Go find a court. Cooking, makeup, art? Whatever it was go find the space where that energy lives now because I almost guarantee you'll be able to find that same electricity.

Hotel Lobby or Boutique Hotel Café

Personal favorite. Look up luxury hotel lobbies in [your city] Go to work, have coffee, or just soak in the energy. Act like the future version of yourself that aesthetic is begging for it.

Hidden Coffee or Cocktail Spots with a Vibe

This is my exception to the Starbucks rule. Find the hidden gems in your city — the spots that feel secret, curated, indulgent. You walk in and suddenly, you’re the woman who knows where to be and when. All you have to do is google 'hidden gems coffee shops/ cocktail bars in [your city], trust me.

Wellness, Spa, or Recovery Space

Float tanks. Infrared saunas. Cryotherapy. A massage spot you hit regularly. My best tip; use Resort Pass to get access to private spas and pools in your area. It's about creating space to show up as a certain version of yourself, plus it's just hard not to feel like that girl when you're pouring into your health and wellness like this.

Outdoor Space + Nature Sanctuary

Botanical gardens. Walking trails. Sunsets in the park. A hike with a view. Step out of your structured life and into a space that stretches you. Your reminder that you move differently when your energy has some room to breathe.

Networking + Co-Working Spot

Not just coworking. Curated spaces where ambitious women and creators show up, the kind of energy that pulls you forward. Spend 2–3 hours a week here and watch how your presence shifts.

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