6 Signs You Are Neglecting Your Broken Inner Child

We’re all children at heart. There is absolutely no denying that. Do you ever feel, when seeing a bunch of balloons, like getting one for yourself, or get excited at the big variety of choices when buying an ice cream and you just want to try them all? Regardless of your age, your inner child stays within you forever. Childlike excitement about certain things will always be present. That certain feeling of freedom, joy and happiness that you felt as a child is still present within you. Cherish that and enjoy those feelings when they are present because you can once again feel that innocence and pure happiness can be experienced.

Stephen A. Diamond Ph.D talks about the importance of your inner child: “The fact is that the majority of so-called adults are not truly adults at all. We all get older. Anyone, with a little luck, can do that. But, psychologically speaking, this is not adulthood. True adulthood hinges on acknowledging, accepting, and taking responsibility for loving and parenting one’s own inner child.”

The question is not about the existence of the inner child. It is within you, it always has been. The problem is when you neglect that about yourself and fail to acknowledge it or take care of it.

“For most adults, this never happens. Instead, their inner child has been denied, neglected, disparaged, abandoned or rejected. We are told by society to ‘grow up,’ putting childish things aside. To become adults, we’ve been taught that our inner child – representing our child-like capacity for innocence, wonder, awe, joy, sensitivity, and playfulness – must be stifled, quarantined or even killed.”

Must read: If You See Your Child Sitting Like This Stop Them Right Away!

Our inner child is the part of us that feels the deepest emotions. It is the root of all big dreams and goals we aspire for. Your inner child is a huge part of you and of big importance.

Here are 6 signs to show you how you are neglecting your inner child:

1. Forgetting The Basics

You have to convince yourself to be much healthier than our generation seems fit. Good mental health depends from your physical well-being and you cannot forget that. Healthy life, healthy body, healthy mind – remember?

Have a proper diet plan, do not indulge in substance abuse and stop addictions if you have any. It will be the best thing you have done for yourself and to your body. Every time you take your health for granted, you’re hurting the inner child in you.

2. Discarding Our Own Feelings For That Of Others

You are important. Regardless of the cheap selflessness that society has tried to feed you, make yourself your number one priority. If you allow other people to walk all over you, they are going to do just that. It might be harder for people that are highly emotional and sensitive because they often suppress their own feelings so that they don’t hurt someone else’s or not speaking up and saying what you mean so someone doesn’t get offended. Your feelings are important and you have to learn to respect them and your emotions. Only then will that behavior project upon everyone else.

3. Criticizing Or Judging Our Choices And Actions

If you are going to beat yourself up over every tiny mistake you make, you’re holding yourself to an impossible and abusive standard. Please do not hurt yourself this way. All of us make mistakes, and perfection is a falsifying human dream. Your inner child needs the feeling of being protected, loved and accepted, so do that favor to yourself.

4. Remaining In Negative Or Toxic Situations

Our radar beeps every time our mental health is in danger. Listen to it. Our inner child always warns us through gut feelings, whenever we walk too close to the edge. Weed out the people and things in your life that are upsetting you and give you negative vibes. Life is too short to not care about your own self. Your first best friend should be your own self. Prioritize!

5. Judging Painful Or Negative Emotions

We all have feelings, and sometimes those can be bad and negative. Don’t beat yourself up every time you feel sad or angry. This way, you’re severing the connections you have built with your inner child. At some point, after so much oppression, it will stop responding altogether. Let your inner child have a judgement-free safe space where they can be whatever their heart desires. Don’t beat yourself up too much.

6. Explaining Away The Emotions Of Your Inner Child

I know impulses hurt. I admit, they’re excruciatingly painful. Being a sensitive person who channelizes their gut feeling feels like a curse. But it is what makes you so beautifully human. In blocking out the bad, you will also be blocking out the greatness of raw emotions. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Life always turns out fine at the end. Just hold on long enough, instead of trying to cut parts of you away.