Last update: February 07, 2016
Childhood is one of the stages in life that we usually remember most fondly. This is due to the fact that, when we are children, we have an inexhaustible source of enthusiasm. Any object can become a toy, any activity an adventure.
Over time, we become adults, stress and responsibilities take over our lives and, often, we forget to take the time to play, to get in touch with our inner child.
It is important to reach out to that child that we all have inside. Studies show that spending time on typical childhood activities, which do not involve responsibility or competitiveness, but rather disinhibition and play, increases happiness levels and reduces stress.
Here, then, are 8 different ways to bring out the inner child we have inside.
To color
Maybe you already know the phenomenon of books with mandalas to color, otherwise ask in the nearest bookshop and you will be surprised.
This is not just a fad, because when we color we immerse ourselves in a state of concentration and distancing from problems daily, which helps reduce stress.
Playing outdoors
Children, especially in open spaces, run, jump and climb whatever they find. Despite this, when we are adults and in the midst of nature, we carry out more passive activities: we eat outdoors, take a walk and, in some cases, do extreme sports.
While all of these activities are good, it is good do something less structured, which breaks the routine daily and that puts the body in uncommon situations, to train skills such as balance.
For this reason, it's great to climb trees, swing, jump rope, etc. These are different physical states.
Outdoor games take us out of the sedentary life that many of us lead
These activities and these games not only free us from stress and awaken forgotten areas of the brain, but also free endorphins, fill us with enthusiasm and make us rediscover our adventurous side.
Daydreaming
Daydreaming is like taking a moment for ourselves, without having to do anything, during which we can allow the mind to wander.
It can happen in any situation: lying in the park, in the bathtub or simply sitting on the sofa at home, looking out the window.
The key is not to feel guilty because "we are wasting time" e take a moment to relax our mind, away from the continuous flow of everyday responsibility.
Daydreaming not only relaxes us, it is also a great mechanism for enhancing creativity because, often, when we allow ideas to wander at random, they come back in order and establish connections that allow us to see reality, the problems we have in our hands, from a different point of view.
Creation
Speaking of creativity, all activities that have something creative are a perfect stimulus for positive moods. It was demonstrated that people who have a creative hobby are less stressed when they practice it.
Children color, make collages, create necklaces with pasta, assemble puzzles ... The important thing is to give free rein to our creativity, to our desire to create something, even if this does not imply a material benefit and even if we think we are not carried .
Do you like to cook, weave, draw, build models? Whatever comes to your mind, the important thing is to work with your hands, completing activities that help to see life more lightly, at least for a while.
To hug
Babies are much more outgoing when it comes to physical contact. Unfortunately, as we become adults, we put physical barriers between ourselves and others.
Nevertheless, hugging, holding hands, showing affection to our loved ones through physical contact is a source of happiness.
Hugging strengthens emotional bonds, helps create a climate of intimacy and, when the environment in which we find ourselves is tense, it is a good way to release all that tension.
Take an afternoon nap
Sleep well in general. Sometimes, we sacrifice the hours of sleep to be able to carry out all the activities we had promised ourselves to do. However, sleeping well and resting the body and mind is essential for health, both physical and mental.
When we sleep, we regenerate and it is the only way to obtain the amount of energy necessary to face the challenges of everyday life. Sometimes, an afternoon nap can be a way to replenish your strength for the rest of the day.
Don't think that you are wasting time when you sleep, because, in reality, you are investing in yourself.
Don't be afraid of making mistakes
While growing up, we have to learn everything and it is normal to make mistakes several times, it is part of the learning!
For some reason, as adults we tend to see mistakes as failures and not as part of the way to go and, often, this allows the fear of making mistakes, of paralyzing ourselves and to get away from our desires and our goals.
Failure does not mean failure, it is the symptom of having tried and a good way to keep learning
Whenever you can, therefore, let go of prejudices, play, run, jump, lose your balance and engage in activities without practical or economic purposes. You will see how you will recover some of the enthusiasm and emotion that, for sure, you remember as a precious childhood treasure.
That child inside you is waiting to take your hand to go out and have fun with you.
(Inspired by this article)
