EP 55: Healing Your Inner Child: A Journey to Self-Love and Confidence
How is your inner child doing today? That’s right, I’m asking about your inner child. Why? Because being aware of how our inner child is feeling and what it's thinking is crucial for achieving our goals and doing the healing work required.
Inner child healing and connecting with our inner child is a significant part of the work I do with my clients. Whether it’s in my Soulful Entrepreneur Mentorship or the Dream Bigger Mastermind, our inner child often holds the key to understanding fear and self-sabotage. Many times, when clients feel afraid to post on social media or take bold steps, it’s their inner child who’s feeling unsafe.
This summer, I’m running the Summer of Self-Love Challenge, to help you increase your self-confidence, self-worth, and self-love. Guess what? It starts with your inner child. If you don’t feel deserving, confident, or have strong boundaries, it likely originated from your childhood as a survival mechanism.
Our childhood experiences shape our adult behaviors. If we didn’t develop strong or healthy coping mechanisms due to our parents’ struggles or mental health issues, it can follow us into adulthood. For instance, I grew up in a chaotic environment with a father who struggled with addiction and a family overwhelmed by survival mode. This impacted my ability to communicate healthily and regulate my emotions.
When I started my healing journey 15 years ago, I had no concept of the inner child. I didn’t realize that my childhood trauma influenced my adult behaviors. The fear of disappointment and the need for perfectionism stemmed from my early experiences. My father's explosive anxiety and my role in helping my overwhelmed mother made me fearful of expressing emotions and seeking help.
As adults, many of us remain hypervigilant, constantly worrying and feeling unsafe. If rest feels uncomfortable or guilt-inducing, it’s a sign that your inner child needs attention. Hypervigilance and the inability to relax indicate that our nervous system is still on high alert from childhood stress.
Reparenting involves consciously connecting with your inner child, understanding their fears, and allowing them to let go of unnecessary responsibilities. My childhood was marked by adult responsibilities and fear of my father’s drinking. This led to anxiety and a struggle with playfulness even in adulthood. By reparenting my inner child, I learned to embrace joy and adventure.
One powerful practice is writing a letter to your inner child. Reflect on a difficult time in your childhood and write from the perspective of your current self, offering love, understanding, and support. This practice can be deeply healing. Here’s an example of a letter I wrote to my inner child:
Dear Lily,
I know things feel confusing, scary, and lonely right now. It’s not your fault. Dad’s drinking doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Mom saying she’ll leave doesn’t mean she’ll abandon you and your sisters. You’re doing a beautiful job helping our parents, even though it’s a burden no child should bear. You’re a great big sister, and your sisters will appreciate everything you do.
It’s okay to ask for help. Children aren’t supposed to handle adult responsibilities. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’ve failed. You’re strong and resilient, but doing everything alone is exhausting. Learning to play and have fun is important too. I promise to create space for joy and adventure in our life.
This experience will get better, and you’ll learn so much from it. It will influence your future work. Thank you for being brave and compassionate. You’re a little healer, Lily. Continue to shine and take up space. You are deserving and will inspire others to do the same. I love you so much,
Ana
Reading this letter brings up emotions because it reconnects me with my past and reminds me of the healing journey I’ve been on. Life is still challenging, but addressing my inner child’s needs helps me feel safer and more grounded.
Healing our inner child is essential for building self-confidence and worth. It helps us move past fear, people-pleasing, and self-sabotage. By addressing these deep-seated issues, we create a foundation for a more fulfilling life.
If this resonates with you, join my Summer of Self-Love Challenge. It’s a step-by-step journey to increase your self-confidence and worth. Download the challenge, do the exercises, and connect with your inner child. If you need support, I’m here for you.
In addition to the challenge, I’m accepting clients for my Radiate program. This six-week one-on-one coaching program dives deep into inner child healing, helping you manifest your desires and live authentically.
What an emotional journey today! Thank you for holding space for me and my inner child. I’m here for you too. Let’s connect with our inner children, heal, and create the lives we desire. You are worthy of it.
Please reach out, share the challenge with friends, and let’s help each other build self-confidence and love.
WORK WITH ANA:
FREE – Start the Summer of Self-Love Challenge
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