5 Ways to Connect with Your Inner Child
It’s no surprise that childhood experiences can stick with us for a lifetime. In the first ten years of life, we form the basis of our personality and internalize important lessons about ourselves, our families, and the world around us. The inner child still lives within us and can manifest in adulthood when our childhood wounds are reopened, or triggered. Even if you didn’t have a traumatic childhood, we can all benefit from paying attention to what our inner child has to say and analyzing those feelings from an adult perspective. Read on to learn five techniques you can try now to help you get in touch with your inner child.
Our inner child’s voice is often drowned out by the stress and responsibilities of adulthood, but they are still in there, informing our decisions and worldview. Reconnecting with the inner child means welcoming the part of you that both experiences childlike joy and holds harmful messages we were taught early on. Here’s five strategies you can use to get in touch with this part of yourself:
Reconnect with your past: Try digging out your childhood photos, re-reading your favorite childhood book, or watching movies you loved as a kid. You’ll be surprised by how these materials bring out the emotions and feelings we felt at the age when the pictures were taken or when we read that formative book. Simply doing this can bring joy as we look back on the carefree children we used to be.
Write your past self a letter: Try journaling a letter to your past self. What did ten-year-old you need to hear? What did you wish they knew? What do you want them to know about yourself now? This can be a very moving experience. If you find yourself getting emotional, try putting a hand to your chest and saying “I love you.” Showing yourself, and your inner child, that you love every version of you can feel transformative.
Look in the mirror: Try starting your day by looking in the mirror and speaking an affirmation that is meaningful to you. For example, if you felt like you didn’t fit in as a child, your affirmation may be “I am great just the way I am.” Something about looking in the mirror and talking to yourself directly helps the message sink in.
Play: adults need to get creative and play, too! All work and no play makes for an overstressed mind. If you can find the time, schedule two hours or so to engage with a hobby like coloring or painting, walk outside, or just listen to music and dance around.
Reconnect with friends and family: Is there a childhood friend you would like to reach out to? What about your siblings and other family members who knew you as a child? Reconnecting over childhood memories can bring laughter, kinship, and closer relationships with the people who matter most to you.
Inner child work can be an interesting and moving way to reconnect with both the joy and pain of your past. If you feel that there are deep issues from childhood that need to be addressed, therapy can be a great place to talk it out with an experienced professional. Need a counselor who accepts insurance in Shelby Twp, MI? Give AWC a call today at (248) 413 - 5865.
References
Boerger, L., & Boerger, L. (2023, August 29). 22 ways to connect with your inner Child - made with lemons. Made With Lemons. https://madewithlemons.co/connect-with-your-inner-child/
