6 Ways to Care For Your Inner Child
When did everything get so complicated?
As children, we don’t question what is on our plates, because we know that our parents have prepared our meals with our best interests in mind.
We don’t drag ourselves to the gym each day because moving our bodies happens organically while we play and explore the world around us.
We might have kicked up a fuss around bath and bedtime, but our parents made sure it was not negotiable, because they had our best interests in mind.
As adults, we put so much pressure on ourselves to have the perfect diet, exercise routine, and are so focused on the physical outcome that we forget what it's really all about, simply taking care of ourselves.
I often find my patients come to me with complicated and convoluted plans to getting their life back on track. They want to know exactly how to eat and how to work out to achieve their goals.
When this happens, I try to remind my patients that the most important aspect of practicing healthy habits is actually about finding balance and taking care of yourself.
Photo by Maxime Bhm on Unsplash
To illustrate this point, I like go all the way back to the beginning. The question I want you to ask yourself is, “How would I care for younger me?” As a mom, the answer to this question is that I would treat myself the way I would my children, focusing first and foremost on how to keep them healthy and happy.
Despite what all of the parenting books tell you, it’s really not that hard when you break it down to our basic needs. Your inner child doesn’t need all that much to thrive, so let’s break it down.
We can boil it all down to six basic needs that everyone from age three to 103 would benefit from following. Those six needs are sleep, nutrition, exercise, hydration, hygiene, and time management. Keep reading to learn how to meet all of these needs and still have time to spare.
Implement a bed time routine to get better sleep.
When you were a little kid, you probably had a bedtime. At the same time every night your parents turned off the T.V., put away your toys, and led you through a bedtime routine that would help get you wound down enough to go to sleep.
You probably even dreamed of the day no one would tell you what to do and you could pull an all nighter if you really wanted to.
When we do grow up and become adults, there is no one there to shut off our Instagram feed and tell us it’s time for bed. It takes a lot of willpower to enforce these rules on yourself with no one there to hold you accountable.
However, I do know that almost all of my patients could benefit from getting more sleep.
Doctors recommend 6-8 hours, but I know I need at least eight to feel my best. Try to be strict about your bedtime and have a solid routine that relaxes you and gets you ready to sleep.
Check out my other article all about sleep for more tips on getting a better night’s rest.
Eat like a grown up and cut back on the treats.
Did you ever say to your mom or dad, “When I grow up, I’ll eat ice cream for dinner and no one will be able to stop me!” Were you surprised to find out that you were totally right?
The problem is, for a lot of us, when we first get total freedom to feed ourselves, everything we know about moderation and balance goes out the window. Maybe no one ever taught you the basics to begin with.
You don’t need an overcomplicated and restrictive diet plan to achieve a healthy diet. Remember when getting McDonald’s was a treat reserved for when you aced a test or were good at your doctor’s appointment?
The first step to reparenting yourself is by cutting back on overprocessed foods and foods with tons of added sugar. This should be a no-brainer first step to cleaning up your diet.
Second, your meals should always consist of a protein source, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains. That’s it! How you assemble those ingredients is totally up to you and you can achieve this with almost any food preferences.
Maybe it’s whole grain pasta (grains) with chicken sausage (protein), pesto (fats), and a side salad (fruits and veggies.) Or maybe it’s steak (protein) tacos in corn tortillas (grains) with guacamole and pico de gallo (fats and fresh fruits and veggies.) See how easy it is?
Make exercise enjoyable and a daily practice.
Do you remember how much more you used to move as a kid? You were always on the go, engaging in physical play with your toys, exploring your environment, playing with rocks outside, and no one had to tell you to do it!
The older we get, the more sedentary our lives become. Many of us work in offices or on the computer and there is just less opportunity to get moving throughout the day.
You should try to get your body moving every single day for at least 30 minutes, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. One day you could go for a walk and the next you could attend a yoga class with your bestie. One day you might want to hit the weight room and the next you’re dancing at a Zumba class.
However you choose to move, just be consistent and try to incorporate movement throughout your day rather than just limited to your workout. Take your phone calls while walking or stretch on your break at work.
Finally, make sure your exercise of choice is something you actually enjoy or that makes you feel strong and proud when you’re finished. The quickest way to turn yourself off from an exercise routine is by forcing yourself to move in ways that you don’t actually enjoy.
Drink more water to feel better fast.
In the age of the Stanley cup, we are still not drinking enough water! One of the biggest reasons for our lack of hydration is our tendency to reach for sugary or caffeinated beverages which actually dehydrate us more.
Cutting back on sugary beverages is one of the quickest ways for many people to improve their health. However, if you can’t kick the bubbles just yet, opt for a flavored soda water or add a splash of juice to seltzer water.
As a general rule of thumb, doctors recommend that you drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day, and even more if you are doing vigorous exercise during the day.
It can be hard to jump from too little water to 75-100 ounces of water per day, though. An easier way to add more water to your day is to do so slowly. Add in and additional 10 ounces, or one full glass, of water everyday for a week.
Once you get used to this extra water, increase by another 10 ounces weekly until you hit your goal without running to the restroom every 20 minutes.
Clear your space to clear your mind- how self love means good hygiene.
One of the most common signs of depression or mental illness is struggling to take care of our hygiene. This can look like not showering, brushing your teeth and hair, and letting your house get messy.
Unfortunately the best way to make a change in this area of self care is by simply starting to go through the motions.
Everyone remembers the clean up song, “Everybody do your share!” to do a quick tidy up at the end of the day. You can implement this practice at home each day by taking just a few minutes to tidy up your space.
I promise it’s easier to do a little bit everyday than have to do a major clean up every few weeks or even months.
Just like your space, your personal hygiene should be an everyday routine. Brush and floss your teeth daily, rinse off in the shower, and wear your SPF! These small steps will make you feel proud of how you cared for yourself, healing that inner child who really just wants to be loved.
Quiet time and play time are just as important as being productive.
Photo by Skylar Zilka on Unsplash
Time management means more than just being productive. It’s taking time for play and quiet as much as it’s managing your work hours. When your work day is done, make sure you are taking some time to shut off the screens and tap into your inner child.
Remember those long days of your youth when you had nothing to do and your mind could simply wander?
Try to find some time each day to do nothing. If you struggle to do nothing, choose things that bring you peace and joy.
Some examples of how you could fill your time is writing, drawing, reading, doing a puzzle, listening to music, going for a walk, or playing a game. Whatever you choose, just make sure you are doing it for fun and not to serve a greater purpose or to check it off your to do list!
Wrap it up.
When it comes to your health and wellness, try not to overthink it. You don’t have to make everyday perfect. Just strive to do most of these six things everyday and over time, they begin to add up.
The most important part is that you feel the self love flowing at the end of each and everyday. When you look at yourself as a child who just wants to be taken care of, it is easy to make choices with your greater good in mind.
So next time you feel overwhelmed by the specifics of what to eat and how to move, just picture little you and ask yourself, how would I care for my inner child?
