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The idea -

Connecting with our inner child is simple in principle. We need to do some things that children do to feel how children feel. In doing this, we must spend less of our time being rigidly structured, egotistic, and conformist. Instead, we do things that we associate with and admire children for, like being fun, playful, simplistic, and creative.

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Be needy, for a change -

Being self-sufficient and independent is what’s expected of us as adults, but from time to time it can be beneficial for us to ask for the emotional attention and care that we may need.

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Get hands on -

Getting creative by making jewelry is a great way to reconnect with your inner child. This can be done at home with some simple supplies.

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Make a movie -

Making short clips for Instagram, when it’s for others to see, is usually reflective of the ego or even just used as a marketing tool. Try making a home movie on your phone with a storyline and dialogue. As it’s not for the public to see, you will naturally allow yourself to be more creative.

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Fake it at first -

Children are always very excited to show people how they’ve organized and decorated their rooms. You may have to fake being excited about this one at first, but once you get into it, it can be enjoyable.

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Paint! -

Painting, in general, is a fantastic way to reconnect with your imaginative and playful side, as there’s no right or wrong.

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Write something -

Children are great at letting their imaginations run away with them when writing. Sitting down to do some creative writing is a great way to transcend time for a while.

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Stop wasting time thinking you're wasting time -

Thinking that something is a waste of time is precisely the type of mind frame that should be avoided when reconnecting with your inner child. Playing an old (or new) video game is precisely the type of activity children find delight in, and may make you warm with the nostalgia of your early years.

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Hug it out -

Releasing our inner child may be helped by being kind to others and expressing our love and gratitude.

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Learn for the sake of learning -

Releasing our inner child is about curiosity and wonder. Being curious and learning for the sake of learning is a more wholesome approach, rather than just learning for a perceived payoff in the future. Regaining a sense of interest may be difficult as adults, but if we “fake it until we make it,” it will eventually begin to come naturally. Try asking why, as children do, as much as you can to start.

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Keep it simple -

In light of not viewing things as “wasted time,” and doing something just for the sake of it, throwing a ball or frisbee could be a good activity to release your inner child.

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Or maybe juggle -

If you’re alone, there’s plenty of other activities that can be done instead, like juggling.

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Take a look up every now and again -

This could also be achieved by taking our heads away from our screens to look up at the world that surrounds us, and asking why the world is the way it is.

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There's always something to be grateful for -

Reconnecting with our inner child as adults is also about taking the time to be grateful. An excellent exercise to do this is writing down everything we are thankful for, no matter how mundane some things may seem.

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Keep dreaming -

Taking some time to think about the world around us and our own lives is a great way to exercise our imaginations and examine what might not usually see the light of day.

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Write a letter -

Writing a letter is another exercise that can be focused on gratitude and is also a creative activity. You don’t even have to send the letter, but it might make someone’s week, or year, if you do.

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Dance -

You don’t have to be at a party to dance. Putting on some headphones and shaking it out is a fun way to relieve stress and connect with your playful side and inner child.

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Indulge yourself -

Indulging in entertainment alone, whatever that means for you, is a nice way to escape from the daily pressures of adult life.

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Seek adventure -

There are plenty of places far away from the other “normal” adults where you can go climbing, for example. There are also plenty of climbing walls that you can visit if you live in a relatively large city.

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Napping is okay -

In the spirit of staying curious and alert, take a nap. Although naps are commonly associated with laziness, they are proven to lift your mood, make you more alert, and ease stress.

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Play with pets -

The pureness and innocence of playing with a pet is a surefire way of dragging you back down to earth and shedding your ego-driven adult self for a while.

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Use your hands -

As children, we used our hands to experiment, build, pull things apart, and examine the world around us. We can recapture this spirit by sculpting.

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Take a break from chores to be creative -

Like with sculpting, instead of using our hands to fix things around the house, which feels like a chore, we should use them to be creative. Making something from wood that is useful, even if just useful in the sense that it is beautiful, is a satisfying and grounding activity that can boost a sense of enthusiasm for life and reconnect you with your inner child.

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Nature is nurture - Our sense of wonder as children was high when surrounded by nature. As adults, we lose this sense of awe and wonder simply because most of us don’t prioritize being in nature.

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Dress up -

Dressing up is a really fun and playful activity to do to release your inner child, even at home.

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Feel the rhythm -

Playing an instrument, singing, or even banging on a drum is a fun and playful way to release your inner playful child. If you already play an instrument, it can also be a very creative endeavor too.

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Be mindful -

Doing one thing mindfully every day can help us keep a presence of mind, connecting us to our inner child. Whether it is washing dishes or counting steps, being 100% focused on what we’re doing is the key. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Although some of these activities may seem mundane or impossible to be fun as adults, as time passes, entering this frame of mind will become easier.

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Go undercover -

Finally, spending time around children is one of the most effective ways to release your inner child. Their inquisitive nature and sense of imagination are infectious, and you will find yourself playing along. And if you play along for long enough, you’ve reached your inner child state with no effort at all.

Sources: (Healthline)

See also: How to eat more mindfully

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