Some of us are born into comfortable households. But, none of us are raised in a perfect world. As we go through life, we experience mental, emotional and physical trauma. Our innocence suers as a result. So does our soul. This chaos causes wounds, which many identify as an injured inner child.
Do you remember the moment your innocence was stolen – the irst time in your life you felt less human? This incident started a cascade of events that endangered your happiness.
What Is Inner Child Healing? Why Do You Need It?
Many of us were forced to raise our parents, instead of receiving unconditional love from them. Some of us, lucky enough to have loving parents, were traumatized by society, by people who couldn’t relate to us.
Growing up, I felt like an outcast, unworthy of love and attention. The pain haunts me to this day.
But, it needs to heal. You need to heal.
The darkness inside us will only grow stronger until we pacify it. The child within (our inner child) will continue to suer until we ind a way to give it a chance to live the life it deserves, to feel the joy that was stolen from him/her.
How To Heal Your Inner Child?
The only way to heal your inner child is to allow it to feel safe. This may seem easy to do. But, think of ive things that scared you as a child. Are you ready to face them now?
Are you ready to let your inner child out?
If not, how can you prepare yourself for it?
Well, irst, give yourself the break you deserve.
Healing takes time. You cannot push yourself to feel better sooner than you do.
Then, take some time to envision what your inner child looks like. How old is he/she? How many versions of your inner child can you imagine?
These versions represent dierent timelines parts of your soul are stuck in, reliving the same trauma over and over. You may not feel it consciously. But, deep down, you know it’s true.
I know a version of me is stuck in my primary school, where I was bullied for being overweight. No one really liked me. I had a couple of friends. But, I was and never will be the girl that I wanted to be. Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. But, when you cannot see one, you begin questioning it.
Another version of me is younger, still an infant, struggling to ind love, as my family members rejected me, one by one. A third version of me is sixteen – the age when I dealt with the irst episode of depression. I can never forgive myself for the pain that I felt then.
The fourth one is stuck in a timeline when I irst fell in love. Beautiful though the irst few months were, I was lied to, taken advantage of, disrespected and discarded like garbage.
I never got over the pain. I am sure that there may be more versions of my inner child. But, these are the ones I need to heal irst.
How many versions of your inner child can you remember at this moment? Take a few minutes to journal about them.
There are many ways to heal your inner child. Some of them are listed below:
7 Ways To Heal Your Inner Child
You can heal your inner child by
- – Meditating and oering each version of you a piece of chocolate or your favourite candy for peace.
- – Journaling about your experiences and giving yourself the comfort you needed when your inner child irst got injured.
- – Giving yourself the time and space that you need to heal. Don’t just chase comfort. Demand joy from love, and trust that it will deliver what you need.
- – Trying a hobby that you loved as a child. You may want to sing, dance or paint. Allow yourself to ind the comfort that you need.
- – Meeting your childhood friends. Organize a reunion to remind yourself of the good times. Light can heal pain. Happy memories can alleviate the pain of the traumatic ones.
- – Incorporating tokens from your childhood (balloons, dolls, toys, whistles, etc.) in your healing work. I loved Barbies when I was young. I should probably buy one again as a reminder of simpler times.
- – Indulging in sweets you loved as a child.
Healing your inner child might not be an easy journey. But, it can be a comfortable one if you allow yourself to heal.
You deserve the love your inner child needs. However, you need to love yourself irst. It is easier said than done. I understand that. But, only you can do it.