5 ways to reconnect with your inner child in the workplace

1. The 60-second check-in

Record a brief voice memo to yourself at age 7-10. Say what that kid needed to hear: “You’re brave”, or “It’s okay to try.” Hearing your own voice creates immediate emotional reconnection. Delete afterward if needed. Meeting room, door locked, done.

2. The joy inventory

Close your eyes. Travel back to age 8. List five things that made you happy before “productive hobbies” became a thing. Building forts? Collecting rocks? Don’t edit – just notice what lit you up. Two minutes, notes app, invisible to colleagues.

3. On the other hand

Doodle for three minutes using your non-dominant hand. Let your inner child guide the pen. This bypasses your executive brain and accesses the emotional right hemisphere, where childhood experiences live. Looks like note-taking; feels like freedom.

4. The sensory anchor

Take three deep breaths. Name one thing you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. Notice which sense feels most alive. This takes you out of adult analysis into childlike presence. Thirty seconds at your desk, eyes open, total stealth.

5. Deep reconnection (homework)

Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe continuously (no pause between inhale and exhale) for 10-20 minutes. Allow whatever surfaces (emotion, memory, sensation) just to be there. This is deep reconnection work. Once you’ve practiced at home, adapt shorter versions (two to three minutes of conscious breathing) between meetings.

How you’ll know it’s working

When you tap into your inner child, you feel different. Not necessarily “better” – just different. More energized, suddenly curious about mundane things, thrilled by random ideas, unusually alert. Some people get vivid mental images. Others feel the urge to pace or gesture more. These aren’t distractions: they’re indicators.

Notice your personal signals. Is your voice more animated? Do you smile for no reason? Catch yourself about to say something unfiltered and true? That’s your inner child showing up.

Your four-step reconnection strategy

Getting results requires smart implementation. Here’s how:

1. Start easy

Choose the area where reconnection already feels natural. If expressing emotion comes easily, practice that first.

2. Build momentum

Feel the win before moving to more challenging territory. Success breeds confidence.

3. Target what you need

Once you’ve proven the connection works, shift to the skill you actually need to develop.

4. Low-stakes practice

Want to reclaim risk-taking? Don’t start with the board presentation – start with a micro-risk, such as posting an unconventional idea in the shared doc, and build the muscles that most need it.