How to Make Your Inner Child an Ally
As adults, we often forget about our inner child. We become so caught up in the demands of daily life that we forget to take a step back and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. But our inner child is an important part of who we are, and by embracing and nurturing it, we can find joy and creativity in our lives.
10 Ways to Make Your Inner Child an Ally:
1. Embrace Playfulness:
As children, we are natural born players, and we enjoy playing without any rules. But as adults, we forget the power of playfulness.
Embrace your inner child’s playful nature by engaging in activities that you enjoy, such as playing board games, taking a walk in nature, or simply spending time with friends.
If we want our children to have fun when they are adults, than then need to us doing it too!
2. Make Time For Creativity
Our inner child is often associated with creativity. By tapping into our creativity, we can awaken our inner child and find joy in our daily lives.
Make time for creative activities, such as painting, drawing, or writing, to tap into your inner child’s creative energy.
We tend to be scared to make a mistake, but its through mistakes that we learn. While painting or drawing there is no right or wrong answer, only self expression.
Take time to wonder why you choose the colors that you did, or why you made the shapes that you did. This speaks volumes about preferences.
3. Listen to Your Intuition
Children are often very intuitive, and they trust their instincts. As adults, we tend to second-guess ourselves, but by tapping into our inner child’s intuition, we can make better decisions and lead more fulfilling lives.
The ability to listen to our instinct is not none existent, it is just burrier under a lot of responsibility and sometimes hurt. Allowing yourself to tune in with yourself should help you “hear” yourself again.
Showing your kids that you trust your own judgement, will make them more confident in you and themselves later on. Remember we are the models that they see everyday.
4. Cultivate Curiosity
Children are naturally curious, and they love to learn. As adults, we often lose our sense of wonder, but by cultivating curiosity, we can discover new passions and interests.
Just the act of learning fires up pleasure sensors in the brain. Now and days it is really easy to have access to all kinds of courses. Platforms like Udemy, Coursera and Masterclass are great places to start.
5. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment, and it is an excellent way to tap into our inner child’s sense of wonder.
By practicing mindfulness, we can cultivate a sense of curiosity and joy in our daily lives. It also allows us to be more attentive to how we feel. In turn this buys us reaction time when we are triggered by something.
6. Take Risks
Children are not afraid to take risks, and they often embrace new challenges.
As adults, we tend to become more risk-averse, but by embracing our inner child’s sense of adventure, we can take calculated risks that lead to personal growth and fulfillment.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So take a risk, try something. It is easy to regret something we never did, but hard to regret trying.
7. Find Joy in the Simple Things
Children find joy in the simple things, such as playing with a toy or exploring the outdoors.
As adults, we often forget the power of simple pleasures. By finding joy in the small things, we can cultivate a sense of gratitude and happiness in our lives.
My kids love bugs. And when they find one in the yard, they are so excited. They jump up and down, gather all the adults to share in their discovery.
We still have the power of aww in us, we just need to allow ourselves to let it out. Most of what Surrounds us is actually pretty amazing.
8. Celebrate Your Accomplishments:
Celebrate Your Accomplishments: Children love to celebrate their accomplishments, no matter how small they may be.
As adults, we often downplay our successes, but by celebrating our accomplishments, we can boost our confidence and self-esteem.
There is nothing I love more than watching my kids accomplish a task and then gleefully clap their hands and say Bravo! They are so proud of themselves. They don’t need any external motivation.
9. Embrace Your Emotions:
Children are not afraid to express their emotions, and they often wear their hearts on their sleeves.
As adults, we tend to suppress our emotions, but by embracing our inner child’s emotional intelligence, we can develop stronger relationships and lead more fulfilling lives.
The problem is usually not the emotion itself but how we express it. Or how we were told not to express it. For our children to live happy lives they need to have emotions and be able to express them in healthy ways.
10. Connect with Other Inner Children
Children often connect easily with one another, and as adults, we can learn from their ability to form strong connections. Have you seen two children who don’t speak the same language at the park playing together? Of course, they find ways to communicate because their desire to connect is strong.
By connecting with others who have embraced their inner child, we can find support, inspiration, and a sense of community. Also, you can find a safe place to explore your own playfulness.
I am very lucky that my partner in life is very good at connecting with his inner child. He brought play into our home way before our children were there and his ability to let go and have fun gives me permission to do the same.
In conclusion, by tapping into our inner child’s sense of playfulness, creativity, intuition, curiosity, and joy, we can lead more fulfilling lives. So, take a moment to embrace your inner child today, and let them be your ally on your journey towards personal growth and happiness. As a parent or teacher, if you are happy and taking care of yourself than the inner children of our own kids will strive.
If you want to know more about your inner child check out the Integrative Psychotherapy blog. They beautifully explain the intricacies of the Inner child. More specifically, how connecting with it can help you live a more meaningful life.
If You want to read more similar posts, check out my other post: How to Let Your Children Lead you to your Inner Child