Preserve your inner child, like Disney's Peter Pan? Here you can find out how.

“Don’t grow up – it’s a trap!” Ab heute gibt es die neue Disney Realverfilmung PETER PAN & WENDY auf Disney+. Es handelt sich dabei um eine zeitgemäße Neuauflage des Zeichentrickklassikers von 1953 und dem Stück/Roman von J.M.

Barrie. But how can we actually preserve our inner child?

What is the inner child?
The concept of the "inner child" refers to the part of our psyche that remembers our childhood experiences, emotions and needs. It can help us connect with our feelings and behaviours that were often shaped in childhood.

Through the bestseller "Das Kind in dir muss Heimat finden" (The Child in You Must Find a Home) by the psychologist and author Stefanie Stahl, the concept of the inner child was coined and became known in Germany. In her book, she describes the inner child as a symbolic image of our unconscious, while our adult ego represents our consciousness. Working with our inner child can therefore give us revealing insights and deep insights into our limiting beliefs, conditioning, dreams and formative experiences. Experiences that are deeply embedded in our subconscious and influence our daily actions - and sometimes even prevent us from living our full potential.

How can we preserve the inner child?
To find the inner child again, there are several techniques and approaches that can be helpful:

1. meditation and visualisation
By meditating or using a visualisation technique, you can get in touch with your inner child. Imagine that you are meeting your younger self and talking to it in order to develop understanding and compassion for your past.

2. keep the inner child: Journaling
Write down your thoughts and feelings to develop a deeper understanding of yourself. Write about how you felt in certain situations when you were younger and how these experiences affected you.

3. mindfulness exercises
Mindfulness exercises can help you connect better with your emotions and learn to be in the moment. Take time for yourself to consciously feel how you feel and what you need.

4. creativity
Creativity can help you connect with your inner child. Draw, paint or write stories about your childhood memories and experiences. It can also be helpful to try out childlike activities such as crafts, dancing or singing.

5. play games
Let your childlike side run wild and play games you loved as a child. This can help relieve stress and connect you with your creativity and curiosity.

6. explore nature
Spend time in nature and discover the beauty and wonder of the world around you. Go for a walk, hike or bike ride and enjoy the freedom and light-heartedness of nature.

7. listen to music
Listen to music that makes you happy and energetic. Sing or dance to your favourite songs and allow yourself to have fun and keep the inner child.

Rediscover childlike innocence
Perceive the world with childlike eyes and discover the good in everything. Be curious, open and willing to engage in new experiences.

9. cuddle
Cuddling with a pet, friend or partner can help you feel childlike security and safety and nurture your inner child.

10. use your imagination
Let your imagination run wild and dream big. Paint pictures in your head and write stories that you imagine. This can help boost your creativity and connect you with your inner child.

Keeping the inner child: Why it's so important
According to psychologists on Psychology Today, healing and attending to the inner child is an essential point in psychotherapy. Not only is it good for all of us to simply give the inner child space from time to time, but this method is often used in trauma therapy in particular. When working with the inner child, however, according to Hello Better you should make sure that you really stay in your responsibility and power as a loving adult and do not let yourself be overwhelmed by the feelings and old beliefs that may arise in you.

Likewise, you should always live in the here and now and not wallow too much in the past. To heal the inner child, it makes sense to seek therapeutic help. In general, it is good for all of us to take an example from Disney's Peter Pan every now and then!

von Eliza Trapp