Revive the inner child

As a part of growing up, we have experienced many incidents that have left us with traumas, fears, and heart-broken. As we grow up, we tend to still hold onto some of those parts with us. Our fears are triggered if we are put in a similar situation. We are triggered by the same emotions and we react in a defensive manner which is toxic at some point. 

It is because as young children, we experienced something that left us with traumas and caused fears within us. So when triggered, we react in a very defensive manner as it is our inner child protecting itself. 

Our childhood traumas do affect us as long as we don’t heal our inner child wounds. This leads to sometimes the person experiencing dissociations from all the traumas. A lot of people never come across the term ‘ inner child ‘ and never realize that it is essential to healing it. 

We all have created this rigid parameter in our mindset that adults can’t enjoy like a child. They can’t swing, can’t jump into puddles, or even be happy coloring a picture book. I have often heard my parents judging me for connecting back to my inner child. 

Let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with you connecting back to your inner child and healing it. As we grow, we are expected to behave in a particular way not laugh too loud, don’t tell jokes, or even enjoy ourselves on a playground. We are expected to be mature, talk about serious issues, or at least about future aspirations.

We grow old and we remember the days we used to be young and care-free. Well nobody took that care-freeness from us. It is within us. We just have molded ourselves to the image of a responsible adult. 

Our inner child, if deeply wounded, would try to bring your attention to it. We all have consumed our fear and insecurities that we generalize the attention of the inner child as fear or insecurity. 

How can you heal your inner child?

• Therapy

You can seek help from a professional who will help you in every way possible. They can provide you with techniques in order to heal and better yourself as a person. They can also help you to recognize the recurring patterns that are leading you to unhealthy habits. 

• Journaling

You can use this practice in various ways. Journaling has helped you bring awareness to your emotions and your worries. It can help you relax and also be grateful for things in your life. Journal of shadow work, gratitude, or even just a general one. The process of journaling can boost your creativity, keep a track of your emotions and also help you to look within.

• Spend time doing what you loved as a child

Do the things that you loved to do as a child. If not, then think about the things that fascinated you as a child. Maybe you like to watch clouds? Plan an outing to an open sky and admire them. Love to sing? Play your favorite tracks and sing them out. 

There are so many things you can do in order to heal your inner child. You need to re-parent yourself to help you understand yourself better. We all want the pain to end but we never really take on the phase of healing so take this as a sign that you need to heal yourself for you. Nobody else will do it for you. We want the best for us. So we put in the work.