Tap Into Your Inner Child and Release Anxiety’s Grip
Why another blog on resilience?
Because I’m not the only one still looking for the recipe for lemonade.
I recently completed a course through the University of Pennsylvania on Positive Psychology and Resilience Skills. I’ve always known I bounce back quickly—life is too fun to stay stuck—but the course gave me language for what fuels that bounce… and where I still have room to grow.
One assignment had us revisit a moment of intense anxiety. I chose a time I was about to speak to 200 people. I was prepared—but five minutes before I took the mic, I felt my heart pounding outside my chest like a cartoon character.
The fear wasn’t about failing—it was about being seen as failing.
The talk went fine. People nodded, took notes, asked questions. Nobody saw the chaos behind the curtain. The moment I sat down, the anxiety vanished.
That’s resilience: stumbling inside but carrying on.
Where Resilience Begins
My resilience started early. When I was four, my grandfather told me, “If you can read, you can do anything.” I didn’t understand the weight of those words then—but I see now: he was planting belief.
Resilience is rooted in curiosity, flexibility, and a playful inner child who knows how to get back up.
I don’t crumble when things get hard—I get curious. I regroup, reflect, and press forward. I was never taught to be helpless. I was taught that effort creates possibility.
And research agrees: Resilience isn’t a fixed trait. It’s a skill we build.
Let Them Try. Let Them Fail.
Developmental psychologist Ann Masten calls resilience “ordinary magic.” It’s not about shielding kids from failure—it’s about letting them fall and discover they can rise.
And the same principle applies to adults.
When leaders default to “no” or shut down ideas, they don’t just stifle innovation—they chip away at resilience.
Resilience in adulthood isn’t only about grit. It’s shaped by our environment:
Are we trusted to take risks?
Supported when we fail?
Given room to grow?
Psychological safety, autonomy, and ownership are the adult equivalents of a jungle gym. They give us space to stretch—and bounce back.
Resilience Is Learnable—At Any Age
Supportive environments, creative problem-solving, and high expectations fuel resilience across the lifespan. Teams and families that encourage experimentation raise more agile, adaptable humans.
The good news? It’s never too late to build it.
Your Inner Child Is a Resilience Coach
One surprise from both my coursework and my life: Resilience is tied to play, curiosity, and joy.
That’s not just whimsical. It’s practical.
Reconnecting with your inner child builds emotional flexibility—the same tool that helps us recover from stress.
When we explore, laugh, or ask “what if?” instead of “what now?”, we loosen the grip of anxiety and open up to creative solutions.
Growth doesn’t always require grit. Sometimes the strongest move is building a pillow fort, dancing in the kitchen, or making a silly face in the mirror.
3 Real-Time Strategies to Build Resilience & Calm Anxiety
1. Reframe Before the Spiral
Prep your mind with “If-Then” plans and belief boosters:
“I’ll fail.” → “Not true—I’m prepared and experienced.”
“Everyone will notice I’m nervous.” → “They’ll see I care.”
“If I freeze...” → “I’ll pause, breathe, and check my notes.”
2. Channel Your Inner 8-Year-Old
Ask: What would my 8-year-old self do right now?
Dance it out? Ask for help? Make a silly face?
Childlike energy invites courage and disarms fear.
3. Ground Yourself in the Present
Anxiety lives in the future. These tools bring you back:
5-4-3-2-1: Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
Barefoot Moment: Step outside and feel the ground.
Object Focus: Hold something small and describe it in full sensory detail.
These send a message of safety to the brain—and resilience thrives in safety.
Comic Relief: The Secret Weapon
Resilience doesn’t always look like grit. Sometimes it looks like laughter.
When all else fails, reimagine the situation as a scene from Seinfeld.
Are you spiraling like George? Narrating the absurdity like Jerry? Flailing like Kramer?
Ask:
What character am I playing right now?
What’s a more playful version of this story?
Sometimes, the shift we need is a little humor and perspective.
Let the Inner Child Lead
So next time life knocks you sideways, pause and ask:
What’s the story I’m telling—and could there be a lighter, more creative version that carries me forward?
Your inner child might already have the answer.
Let them lead—just a little.
And if you’re ready to build your bounce-back muscle or rewrite your resilience story, I’d love to help.
Book a free discovery call to explore how we can work together
