7 Ways Bringing Out Your Inner Child Can Make You Happier

Childhood is a time of life that we tend to remember fondly. This is because when we are children we have an endless supply of enthusiasm; any object can become a toy and any activity, an adventure. Over time, as we become adults, stress and responsibilities become masters of our lives and often, we forget to leave time to play and connect with our inner child.

It is important to shake hands with the child in all of us. Some studies show that spending time on activities from our childhood, which do not include responsibility or competitiveness is related to higher levels of happiness and lower levels of stress. We relearn to approach life as a big playground.

To do this, we bring you eight different ways to bring out the inner child within us…

1. Coloring

You may be familiar with the phenomenon of mandala books to color, but ask at your local bookstore and you’ll be amazed.

It is not a passing fad. When we color, we sink into a state of concentration and disconnection of the problems of everyday life, which helps reduce stress.

2. Playing outside

Children, especially in open environments, run, jump and climb over everything they encounter. However, as adults, what we do naturally is usually more passive: eat outdoors, we may walk and in some cases, practice sports.

While all these activities are beneficial, the key here is to do unstructured activities that break our routine and put the body in unusual situations by practicing skills such as balancing.

That’s why it’s good to climb trees, swing, jump rope, etc., because they are unusual physical states. Playing outdoors in this way takes us out of the sedentary lifestyle that many of us lead.

These practices and games not only de-stress and awaken forgotten areas of our brain, but once in practice, they release endorphins, excite us and connect us with our adventurous side.

3. Daydreaming

Daydreaming is a way of taking some time for ourselves, with nothing to do, and simply letting the mind wander.

It can be in any situation: lying in the park, taking a bath or just sitting on the couch at home looking out the window.

The key is to not feel guilty for “wasting time” and spending some time to let our minds rest, away from the continuous flow of day-to-day responsibilities.

Daydreaming not only gives us a break, but it is also a good way to enhance creativity. Often, when we let our ideas wander randomly, they rearrange themselves and make connections, allowing us to see reality and problems in a different way.

4. Creating

Speaking of creativity, any activity related to it is a perfect stimulant for positive moods. It is shown that people with a creative hobby are less stressed while practicing it.

Children color, make cutouts, macaroni necklaces, puzzles…The important thing here is to unleash our creativity and our desire to produce something, even though it will not bring any material benefit and despite thinking it won’t do us any good.

Do you like cooking, knitting, drawing, building models? Whatever comes to mind, it is important to work on activities with your hands that help us to take life less seriously, at least for a while.

5. Hugging

Children are much less inhibited regarding physical contact. Unfortunately, as we grow older we put more physical barriers between ourselves and others.

But hugging, shaking hands, show affection to our loved ones through physical contact is a source of happiness.

Hugging strengthens emotional bonds, it helps create an atmosphere of intimacy and, when there are hard feelings involved, is a good way to soften the environment.

6. Napping

Napping, and simply sleeping well in general contribute to our wellbeing. Sometimes we sacrifice sleep time to carry out all the activities we have set for ourselves, but sleeping and resting your body and mind is essential for both physical and mental health.

When we sleep we regenerate and it is the only way to achieve an optimal state of energy to face the challenges of everyday life. Sometimes a nap can be a way to renew your strength for the day.

So don’t think that when you sleep you’re wasting your time. You’re actually investing in yourself.

7. Making mistakes

As we grow, we are learning everything and making mistakes again and again is just part of the process!

But for some reason, adults tend to view mistakes as failures and not as a part of the journey. Often, the fear of being wrong paralyzes us and it distances us from our desires and goals. A mistake is not a failure, it is a sign that we have tried and a good way to continue learning.

In short, whenever possible, get rid of your prejudices, play, run, jump, lose your balance and do activities without any practical or economic order. You’ll see how you recover the excitement and enthusiasm which you’ll certainly remember as a treasure from your childhood.

That inner child is waiting for you to give him a hand and help him come out out so the two of you can go have some fun.

(Inspired by this article.)