3 Tips for Reconnecting with Your Inner Child, Later in Life

Image by Pexels from Pixabay 

One of the many joys of parenthood is, undoubtedly, the fact that parents get to relive their own childhoods – vicariously – through their kids.

Suddenly, it’s back to the world of children’s TV programmes, trips to the zoo, colouring in books, exciting and fantastical stories, and more.

But what about those of us who aren’t parents? Is there a way to reconnect with our inner child later in life, without getting weird looks from everyone due to our tendency to binge-watch Saturday morning cartoons well into our 30s?

Luckily, there are various things you can, in fact, do to reconnect with your inner child later in life – especially when you realise that a major part of what makes childhood so exciting is that it represents a time in our lives when we are generally optimistic, spellbound by the mysteries and wonders of the world, and filled with enthusiasm and the desire to explore.

Here are a few tips for reconnecting with your inner child, later in life.

Make a habit of trying new things

To children, the whole world is new, exciting, and fresh. They know very little about what’s actually going on, or what there is out there to see – and every day marks a new opportunity for discovery, adventure, and revelation.

What’s more, kids generally know that they don’t know very much about what’s out there at all – and that makes the journey of discovery all the more exciting.

One of the simplest and healthiest ways of reconnecting with your own inner child is to make a habit of trying new things on a regular basis, as opposed to just settling into your fixed routines and comfort zones, and going through the motions over and over again.

It can certainly be a good idea to chase peak experiences, such as climbing up a mountain. And generally speaking, the bigger and bolder the experience is, the more it will inspire your sense of childlike adventure and awe.

However, even small moments of novelty contain something of that magic in them.

Even just looking into something like photo booth hire for your next birthday celebration could make things interesting and different enough to make the whole experience far more memorable.

Resist the temptation to complain all the time, or to be too negative – focus mostly on what you actually like, instead

While it’s not true that kids never complain, it is generally true that adults tend to be significantly more cynical than children, and that we all face the risk of becoming more jaded the older we get and the more of the world we see (or think we see.)

While there is a certain catharsis to complaining and venting your emotions, allowing yourself to become the kind of person who is known far and wide for being negative, and who constantly focuses on the things they don’t like, is a quick path to becoming prematurely aged in a spiritual – and maybe in a physical – sense.

No one likes being around someone who is a constant downer, and nor is that a healthy way for you to live, for your own sake.

Reclaim something of your sense of childlike innocence and cautious enthusiasm and optimism, by focusing mostly on what you actually like, and resisting the temptation to chronically complain.

Embrace the power of fresh starts in different areas of your life

One thing you can say about children is that they have more or less boundless potential. They are at the start of their lives, they can become just about anyone, and do more or less anything, and this is clear to see in the way they play – switching from dressing up as a superhero one day, to firefighter the next, and a chef the day after.

While it becomes harder to just “restart” your whole life as you get older, you can certainly embrace the power of fresh starts in different areas of your life, from time to time, in order to tap into that childlike potential and revive your potentially-flagging sense of hope.

If your job is making you incredibly miserable and has been for years, maybe it’s time to change companies? Or, maybe it’s even time to retrain and do something completely different?

If you’re not happy with how you spend your time and are caught up in a cycle of perpetual procrastination, maybe now is the moment for a concerted self-reinvention campaign?




* Collaboration Post