Embracing your Inner Child
Your childhood shaped who you are today. How you were raised, the care you received, and what you learned to fear. And as an adult, you carry this conditioning with you, influencing your daily decisions. You can only begin to heal old wounds and rewire your mindset by reconnecting with your inner child. There are numerous methods for connecting with your inner child, releasing childhood anxieties, and inviting more joy into your daily life.
What is an inner child?
The inner child is the child-like part of us that is innocent, full of wonder, and playfulness. This part of us frequently clings to past wounds from our childhood. When we were kids, we thought we were to blame for anything that went wrong in our homes and schools.
This part of us still longs for love and often believes that if we aren't perfect, and are simply unworthy of it. Subconsciously, we begin to reject and even punish ourselves. This does not have to be the case.
We can learn to give our inner child a loving home. One of the most helpful things we can do for ourselves in our efforts to overcome past wounds is to embrace our inner child. As we let go of the past, we are able to live in the now and look forward to a happy future.
5 ways to embrace your inner child:
Allow yourself to feel your emotions - give them a chance to be felt. Feelings left repressed for a prolonged duration will result in a sudden outburst that feels uncontrollable.
Would you say the negative stuff you think to yourself to your child? We can be our worst critics, yet the things we think of and speak about ourselves - we would not use them on the people we love. It’s time to change the way we converse with ourselves.
What did you most want to hear as a child? Whether it’s an adult or a significant caregiver, we often seek approval from the role models in our lives but don’t get them fulfilled. List down the words you most wish to hear from the people who mean most to you and instead of waiting for them to tell you these words, repeat them back to yourself. When you encourage and praise yourself, you fulfill the emotional needs of yourself and are free from needing external validations.
Being patient with the healing process. Living in a fast-paced world we are encouraged to get to the next level of achievement within a certain time frame. Yet, healing is non-linear. Be patient and extend grace to yourself in all healing processes.
Re-ignite your passions. What new experiences would you like to have? What new hobbies would you like to take? Get creative and allow yourself to explore and make mistakes. Let your inner child have a little fun.
In "Adulting" we tend to lose our playfulness, yet by embracing our inner child, we can rediscover ourselves. Allow yourself the opportunity to learn about yourself - what makes you tickle, what triggers you, and get comfortable with extending kindness to yourself as you explore your interests.
Wait, there’s more! Before we get to be happy with ourselves, we have to first stop being our own worst critic. Here's a free guide for you to help you silence the toxic self-criticism. With practice, you can develop a more productive inner dialogue that will fuel your efforts to reach your goals.
