Be honest. You’re way too hard on yourself. We all can be from time to time. But all the pressure you’re putting on yourself could be doing you serious harm both mentally and physically.
You may have grown through life, experienced different challenges, built a career, and maybe you even have your own family to look after. However, there's still a huge, often suppressed, child-like part of your inner being. This often-neglected part of ourselves needs to be nurtured consistently to keep up your emotional wellbeing.
Just like a parent who unconditionally loves and cares for their child, you need love, nurture, and generally, spend more time taking care of yourself using various inner child healing exercises.
Today I want to go through 5 effective inner child healing techniques, showing you how to reconnect with your inner child, and help you transform the way you take care of yourself.
#1 Treat Your Inner Child
Maybe this seems obvious, but occasionally treating yourself to something you really like can have profound benefits to your wellbeing.
This doesn't necessarily mean you have to splash out vast sums of cash on the latest designer gear (although I wouldn't blame you if that's what you want to do!). You can treat yourself by setting some time aside one evening to run a hot bath, light some candles, make your favourite hot drink, put on some relaxing music, and chill.
Most of my clients are now starting to enjoy the first drink of their day without checking their phone or any other digital device. They're also taking the time to fuss their pet and making time to socialise with friends — your inner child needs some time to play!
Mothering your inner child doesn't have to be hard work, just doing something simple to treat yourself regularly will help you reconnect with your suppressed inner child.
#2 Celebrate Who You Are
It's not uncommon. We're all too hard on ourselves at times. It's almost like we forget how amazing we are — instead, we focus on all the negative elements of our personality. Why do we do this? Often it's how we've been parented. It could also be down to traumatic experiences. All I know is this needs to stop as soon as possible — which is easier said than done.
The next time you get a moment, tell yourself how amazing you are, that you appreciate and love yourself for who you are. If you complete a job well, even if it's just tidying the kitchen, celebrate the fact that you did a fantastic job. Doing this will help to reinforce the fact that you deserve to be loved, not only by others but by yourself.
Celebrating yourself can be done by saying a positive self-affirmation out loud, journaling, or
writing a gratitude list. We often forget all the things that have made us happy and secure during the day.
This is arguably one of the best activities that you can perform throughout your day. My suggestion would be that you carry out some form of celebration at least once in the morning as you wake up, and once before you go to sleep.
#3 Nurture Your Inner Child By Showing Compassion
We all have flaws. Let's face it if we didn't, the world would be a boring place.
But remember, you're not a robot. Before you punish yourself for your "failings", remember to give your inner child a break. Look at yourself as a parent would look at their child, and encourage yourself to accept all of your flaws. Don't let them get the better of you.
The singlehanded best way to overcome this is to show compassion to yourself consistently.
Just like humans should show compassion to one another, you must show compassion to yourself. The next time you make a mistake, forgive yourself, accept who you are and your faults, and move on.
#4 Setting Boundaries
I hear this a lot. People feel as if they're consistently being taken advantage of. This can be incredulously detrimental to your sense of self and can cause serious harm to your inner child.
One of the best questions to ask your inner child is how they're feeling when it feels like someone is pulling them in the wrong direction. The likelihood is that the feeling is negative.
Pull your inner child out the way of energy-draining people by setting clear boundaries.
Setting boundaries doesn't have to be extreme, just boundaries that set out what you're okay with. If you're upset with the way someone is talking to you, tell them.
This will help you to unload how you’re feeling right there and then as opposed to holding on to emotions, letting them stagnate, and ultimately affecting your wellbeing down the road.
#5 Accepting Past Inner Child Trauma
Many people who visit me in my practice say to me "..looking at my inner child hurts more than I realised".
I can assure you; this is entirely normal. The pain felt when your inner child is coming out is often a result of unresolved traumas from your past.
Accepting these past inner child traumas may be difficult at first, but it's an essential part of caring for yourself. Remember, just like a mother would comfort their child and encourage them to overcome past traumas, you need to reassure and promote yourself.
Start by writing down all the memories that may have been traumatic for you. Once you have your list, work on accepting each situation. Take time to learn from them also - think about how you’ll act in the future if a similar situation arises.
Learning how to accept past traumas can be tough. It may be something you want to discuss with a professional therapist — that will help you process and make sense of your feelings in a safe, nurturing environment. However, accepting the past traumas is a crucial step in nurturing your inner child.
Takeaway
So, to quickly recap what we've discussed in this post, you must always remember to:
❏ Treat yourself occasionally
❏ Celebrate yourself regularly
❏ Show compassion to yourself
❏ Set clear boundaries ❏ Accept the past
Self-care should become an intrinsic part of your daily routine. Just like a parent would care for and nurture their child, you must nurture yourself to reach a clear sense of wellbeing. No matter when it is, or where you are, always make sure you set aside time every day to nurture your inner child.
I hope the tips in this post will help you on your way to rekindle the relationship you have with your inner child. If you’ve found any of the points in this article helpful, or have any further questions on how you can nurture your inner child, leave a comment below and I’ll get to you as soon as possible!