Abby Connolly
Then, try your best to honestly answer those questions and figure out ways to combat your stress and anxiety in a healthy way, which will help you break down your walls without the help of anyone else.
Do things for your inner child
People often tell us we need to do things that will “heal our inner child.” While it’s impossible to go back in time and repair a damaged or difficult childhood, you can do things as an adult that you wish you had gotten to do as a kid.
Simple things like going to the movies or spending time at a beautiful outdoor park, zoo, or amusement park are great ways to treat yourself to a bit of childhood magic as an adult. You can truly allow yourself to “play” and feel free, which, if you had narcissistic parents, you might not have gotten to do that often.
Let yourself dance around your kitchen, dress up in fun outfits, and get some ice cream on a sunny day. Give yourself the simple pleasures you wish your parents had let you indulge in as a child.
Ease up on the self-criticism
When you grow up with parents who are very critical and always find ways to critique or judge you, you tend to do it to yourself as an adult. To begin healing, you must stop being so hard on yourself.
Don’t let the self-loathing toxicity that your parents exposed you to get carried around with you for the rest of your life.
Make an effort to be kinder to yourself. Don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake or do something embarrassing. Instead, take deep breaths, remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes, and move on.
Take good care of yourself
If your parents did the bare minimum when it came to taking care of you, you have to take extra good care of yourself as an adult. Just because your parents didn’t offer you proper care and nourishment doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it. Feed yourself good, nourishing food throughout the day. Move your body in a way that makes you happy and feel good, not in a way that exhausts you.
