8 Ways To Connect With Your Inner Child

There seems to be this crazy notion that suddenly the moment we turn 18 we magically become adults.  As if the second the clock strikes midnight on our nineteenth year of life we are suddenly imparted with the wisdom of adulthood, and I don’t know about you, but I am quite a bit north of 18 and am still waiting to be bestowed with the elusivity of being a grown-up.

I spend a lot of time talking about the importance of nurturing your relationship with yourself because I truly believe that this is the central axis around which your life and other relationships orbit.  Through my many years of holding space for and coaching clients through their own healing and self-discovery journeys, I’ve come to really recognize that one of the most prominent themes that collectively presents for people when working on relationships, whether that be with romantics partnerships, family, friends, coworkers, or self, is connecting with their childhood.  If you think about this, this absolutely makes sense.  Childhood is the time during which you learn how to be a human.  How to relate to and communicate with others.  It’s the time during which you create the foundation for you.  

I’ve also determined that the concept of growing up is a fallacy and just absolutely bullshit. And before you think I’ve gone all Peter Pan on you, hold on for a sec.

Because when we even just break down the words “grow” and “up” there is a sense of separation from where we were before and where we are now.  We know this to be the case for the entirety of our lives, so then why do we sanction this fleeting initial part of our journey as childhood, while all the rest is adulthood.  As if our growing up ever actually stops.

Often with this process of “growing up” and becoming adults, thanks to conditioning and a healthy dose of increased responsibility (which ultimately is not exclusive to adulthood as it is) we can become disconnected from the internal child part of ourselves.  This child part has always been there, will always be there, but for many of us, this disconnect has perhaps come far before our 18th birthdays.

And honestly, this is just ridiculous.  

Because truly,

1. I think kids have it figured out.  They allow themselves to be in touch with and express emotions in their most natural and primal form.  They effortlessly find joy and amazement in the little things.  They prioritize play and imagination…All of which incorporate mind, body and spirit experiences and nourish all elements of self which ultimately fosters whole-being healing and connection.

And…

1. Although we have gone through shifts and transitions through our personal evolution, we are still the same being now that we were as a child.  That means your inner child is innately a part of you and always with you, because of course they are YOU.

Childhood is literally when we learn how to be humans, therefore these experiences significantly impact and shape our perceptions, beliefs, relationship patterns, and thought processes as adults.  This is why connecting with our child self is such an integral part of personal growth!

This is why it is SO important to connect with your inner child.  

SO, I would like to offer you a few practices that can help to encourage your connection with your inner child and support your personal healing journey.  

8 WAYS TO CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER CHILD:

1. Write a letter to your child self

• Think about what you want your inner child to know or perhaps what your inner child needed to hear when you were in their shoes physically.

2. Make up a song

• The sillier the better!  Let your imagination soar :). It doesn't have to make sense!

3. Write a story using your imagination

• Let your mind run wild! You might think of a story you used to enjoy being told or reading as a child and let it inspire you to put your own twist on it!
  

4. Draw a picture of a make-believe land

• You know the one you used to dream of when you were little. Grab some colored markers or pencils and some paper and express yo'self!
  

5. Create a nostalgic playlist full of songs you used to love listening to when you were younger

• A great opportunity to listen to those old childhood tunes (or perhaps if you're like me, embracing my teenage emo angst that will forever be embodied by the soundtrack of my tweens and teens.. and still manages to make it on my Spotify most played at the end of year.)

6. Hang up a picture of yourself from your childhood

• Put somewhere were you can see it and say hi to it regularly :)
  

7. Play with a favorite toy or game from your childhood

• Okay so you don’t have to necessarily play with in the same way that you would have when you were a kid (although I absolutely encourage that you do so!)

8. Create a list of affirmations to foster a positive connection with your inner child

• This might sound something like...
  • “It is safe to express yourself now” 
  • “I am learning to allow myself to have fun and play” 
  • “I am worthy of taking care of my inner child”

Try it out and let me know how it goes!  I would love to hear about ways YOU like to connect with your own inner child! 

Ready to do the work to create healthier relationships in your life?  Follow me on instagram for more content and checkout opportunities to work together here :)