does anyone have advice on taking care of your inner child? I had a weird childhood, the good parts were really good and the bad parts traumatized me, but sometimes I wish I could be a kid again. I'll turn 20 this year, growing up is hard.
One psychologist I follow on Instagram talked about how giving yourself things you wanted/needed as a child but didn’t get can be therapeutic, whether that be an object or an experience. Another therapist (or the same one. I really can’t remember) talks about how it is important to keep at least one small promise to yourself each day. It’s also really good to let yourself play. As we get older, we focus so much on being mature and not doing “childish” things and on being productive, but we also need to give ourselves periods of leisure and play. I’m not saying to completely age regress, but don’t be afraid to color in a coloring book, do things just for fun, build a snowman, play with a dog, etc. I’m 21, and within the last couple of years, I’ve embraced keeping some of my childhood stuffed animals with me at college. I used to disdain them because were “supposed” to grow out of that sort of thing. I feel like it’s helped me start to embrace the inner child part of me again, though. Another thing I’ve done to try and connect is keeping a picture of my child self where I can sometimes see it. I did that because I feel this disconnect between me and my child self and I can’t see myself in her. My hope is that seeing the picture will help me be more conscious of and in tune with child me, and in turn, the connection and awareness will help me have self-compassion and start to heal the childhood wounds. I don’t know if there is science to that, but that’s just one thing I’ve tried. 😊
I love age regression it helps so much with my ptsd and having my what I call a happy place in my head instead of bad memories always trying to come in I would consider it or maybe look into it c:
Like unicorn said, give yourself things you wanted / needed as a kid that you didn’t get. Now that you’re an adult you can provide yourself these things, and that’s pretty powerful.
Work on healing trauma.
Try talking or journaling about your childhood experiences. Just because some things were good doesn’t mean you can’t talk about the bad things. Pointing out things that were traumatic for you doesn’t mean you’re not grateful for all the good things.
Adulthood isn’t magic that happens on your 18th birthday, or your 21st. You’ve been developing it in stages over time. Don’t let your age be an excuse to “toughen up” or something. If there’s something weighing at you, it’s a good idea to ask for help. That’s not childish, it’s a responsible adult advocating for and taking care of themself.
☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision
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Aaronb03
27d
does anyone have advice on taking care of your inner child? I had a weird childhood, the good parts were really good and the bad parts traumatized me, but sometimes I wish I could be a kid again. I'll turn 20 this year, growing up is hard.
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☝ This content is generated by our users and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision