Ever wonder why certain patterns keep showing up in your life? Why you react strongly to certain situations, struggle with boundaries or feel stuck in a never ending loop? It’s because our inner child is still holding on to past experiences, abandonment, limiting beliefs and unmet needs from our childhood.

No matter our age and stage in life, our inner child is with us forever. Unaddressed wounds from our childhood can shape our adult lives, influencing our relationships, self-worth and overall well-being. If we ignore tiggers from our past or resort to disassociating, then we’ll face long-term consequences on our mental, emotional and physical well-being.

So how can we break old cycles and boost self-worth? It starts with healing our inner child. Healing isn’t linear — it will take time and commitment, but the payoff will be worth it.

Here are tangible ways we can begin to heal our inner child:

Give yourself gentle reminders when needed. Ways to incorporate this will look different for everyone, but some examples I use include writing and reading affirmations that resonate with my experiences, positive inner-dialog and self-talk, and tapping into my creative abilities. When I’m feeling stuck, I’ll revisit reminders I’ve written for myself. This gives me a confidence boost, and allows me to pull out of the past and into the present.

Write a letter to your younger self. No one knows you as well as you do. Your experiences throughout life are yours to carry and embrace. It’s common for us to feel shame, guilt and self-doubt when reflecting on our past trauma, but remind yourself that you made it through every experience with strength, resilience and grace. Tell your younger self what you’ve learned, gained and how you’ve grown from a past experience. This practice will lend your inner child a helping hand when needed the most.

Try a holistic healing exercise. I’m a firm believer that incorporating methods of holistic healing are transformative. Holistic healing methods integrate the mind and body connection, allowing us to feel lighter, more relaxed and rooted in the present moment. A couple techniques that I use for myself and with clients are EFT Tapping and Anchoring. Both exercises can be used at anytime, anywhere and with anyone. If you’d like to explore either of these exercises, you can fill out the contact form on my website.

We have the tools within us to evolve on our healing journeys. I believe in you, and I know that you will gain so much light and love while embracing and healing your inner child.