Healing is so necessary to grow as a person.
It’s so easy to stick to your past, letting it define you, even if you don’t like certain traits that have resulted from those events. And so, in this post, I will discuss all of the things I have realised whilst trying to go on my own healing journey, specifically; self-awareness, your inner child and the meaning behind all of this.
SELF-AWARENESS FOLKS
There is an aspect of vulnerability combined with introspection involved to truly understand who you are, and the way you are wired. This journey is all about the time and effort you put into identifying your emotions, thoughts, and behaviours (the holy triad mentioned in therapy).
One of the easiest, yet hardest ways to understand yourself is to journal or keep a mental note of what annoys you, what makes you the happiest, and any prominent emotion you tend to feel. If you overthink literally everything, try meditation or listening to rain/wave sounds on YouTube, to actually hear your thoughts.
It’s more important than ever for us women to know what we deserve and can tolerate.
BECOMING A MASTER OF SELF-AWARENESS
1. Pay attention your surroundings, listening more than you talk
2. Setting aside some time for quiet reflection
3. Not taking feedback or criticism personally
4. Showing curiosity about the way your own mind works
HEALING YOUR INNER CHILD
What does ‘healing your inner child’ have to do with anything? Well, your childhood literally affects how you are right now. Personally, I feel like there is this pressure for women to mature very fast. Often, one’s child-like sense is sacrificed in the process of doing exactly this. So, I believe it’s important to remember that the journey to healing, especially reconnecting with who you were, will not be linear. It’ll definitely be hard to dig up difficult moments from your past, so remember to take baby steps and learn from any setbacks. Since the start of 2022, I have been doing different activities to feel like a kid again, because I want to be able to heal my inner child wounds before I self-date.
WAYS OF RECONNECTING WITH YOUR INNER CHILD
1. Spending time with your old stuffed animals
2. Going to the museum
3. Playing in the park with your friends
4. Indulging in foods you loved as a kid
5. Sing and dance to childhood songs out loud
6. Look through your baby photos
7. Express yourself freely
8. Starting a creative outlet, like dancing
9. Notice old wounds, e.g., are you quick to anger or hide away
10. Journal the ways you feel connected to little you
This list can go on and on, however it is your call to do the things that bring you the most peace and clarity. To see what I been doing, check out my TikTok account all about inner child healing and self-love (@amanpreetks).
PRIORITISING SELF-COMPASSION
Making these actions and healthier behaviours a habit is possible if you remember to prioritise your mental well-being. You’ll go through highs, feeling like you can easily cover your wounds, but as I’ve said, there will be lows where you’ll feel so desperate for a change.
No matter if you’re in the high or low phases, you need to be self-compassionate. If you had a friend recover from their emotional scars, you wouldn’t tell them to ‘get over it’. No, right? You would tell them that confronting this is tremendously courageous, and this is what you should repeat to yourself in your mind.
At times, you will be overwhelmed by what you have realised about yourself, and you will forget to take a break and self-care.
It’s the little things, like taking a bath with candles and soothing music, painting with the flow, putting on a sheet face mask, or hoovering the whole house; activities where you are able to fully disconnect from any thoughts and focus your attention on low-energy tasks.
Extend the love and care you show towards others, for only you, because you deserve it!
HELP IS ALWAYS THERE
As much as you may feel like this is a journey you need to take on your own, every once in a while, it is absolutely okay to lean on others for support. Whether it’s your closest friend or a CBT therapist, it’s so important to stay connected to the people surrounding you. No one will ever say this but growing as a person can feel so lonely and alienating. And why is that? It’s because as humans, we are literally wired to depend on other humans. This whole concept of going on your own path is incompatible most of the time.
So, no matter what you feel are the necessary steps to move forward, invite your loved humans accordingly. If and when they observe you on this journey, they will start to understand your boundaries too.
This is one challenge where you can’t be competitive!
Happy healing :)
Writer:
Amanpreet is a 21 year-old third year student at City, University of London studying Psychology. She is a part of the social media and magazine team for the City Fashion Flare Society. Her personal Instagram account @_amanpreetks and a Tik Tok with more of her take on this subject @amanpreetks.
Editor’s Note: Munya Mwaijumba
Amanpreet's writing is something that can easily be understood and processed by anyone who isn’t familiar with the topic or experience of a self-healing journey. As self-healing is a fairly new topic that people aren’t familiar with, expressing the benefits surrounding the focus on one’s self is something extremely beneficial to everyone, thus anyone that has the opportunity to read it is bound to have benefitted from it some some shape or form unique to them. Personally, I would love to have a look at Amanpreet's Tik Tok where she explores more about self-healing and guidance.
Have a story to share? Visit the Contact Us section of the website or DM us on Instagram @platform_publications or Twitter @platform_pub. Want to get in touch with one of our editors? DM @itsmunyaxx on Instagram to get connected!
Comments