Feel Like a Kid Again

While many of us enjoy aspects of being a grown up, we sometimes long for the freedom and adventures of our youth. Recapture that youthful feeling by thinking and acting like a kid again. Even when you have satisfy your adult responsibilities, you can still feel like a kid again by maintaining a youthful perspective.

Steps

Thinking Like a Kid

1. Release your inhibitions. Adults spend a lot of time worrying about how others perceive their behavior, but this leave you feeling stressed and self-conscious. To feel more youthful, even just temporarily, don’t worry about appearing stupid, silly, or crazy.
   • For example, don't worry about how loud you are laughing. Just enjoy the feeling.
   • If you start to worry about what other people might think, push these thoughts aside and focus instead on how good it feels to laugh, joke around, or play.
   • Many of the activities you can do to feel more like a kid will require you to let go of your inhibitions and worry less about what other people may think. This may be hard to do, but you can start out small. Watch a funny movie and laugh as much as you want.
2. Stop being judgmental. Worrying about how other people view you prevents you from feeling like a kid, but so does judging other people. Kids are often more accepting and open-minded than adults, so try to follow their example.
   • When you catch yourself thinking negatively about another person, make yourself think of something nice instead. This might feel forced at first, but it will help retrain your brain to stop being judgmental and start being positive.
   • Psychologists suggest that one of the best ways to reduce your judgmental attitude about other people is to start being nice to yourself since judgement comes from a place of insecurity. Make a list of your best personality and character traits. Read this out loud every morning, and you'll notice that you have a better perspective on the world and the people around you.
3. Toss your planner or schedule. Feeling like a kid again involves embracing spontaneity and a less structured schedule. It is difficult to feel youthful and free when you have to worry about upcoming appointments, meetings, or responsibilities.
   • While not every day can be unscheduled or open, try to avoid making lots of commitments for your days off.
   • Plan activities with friends or family, but don’t set a specific time or precise schedule.
   • For a brief time, allow yourself to let go of adult responsibilities. Laundry, bill paying, and cleaning won't help you feel like a kid again.
4. Embrace being bored. A lot of adults feel the need to spend all of their free time engaged in specific, productive activities, but this is not how most kids live. It might take some effort, but allowing yourself to feel okay about having nothing to do will help you relax and feel more youthful.
   • Giving yourself time to be bored provides you with the time to imagine, explore, and think about whatever you’d like.
   • Most adults discourage themselves from daydreaming, but experts say daydreaming and a healthy imagination often lead to more productive and creative ideas.
5. Let someone else take charge. Few things are more stressful than being responsible for everyone else and their schedules. To feel more like a kid, occasionally let someone else take charge.
   • Ride in the backseat of the car instead of driving.
   • Let someone else decide what to eat for dinner.
   • Instead of managing an activity or outing, just sit back and enjoy the day.
6. Break a few rules, within reason. As adults we often feel like we have to follow rules all the time, but kids are often more adventurous. While you shouldn’t violate laws or ignore your responsibilities, try breaking a few unwritten rules of adulthood.
   • Stay up late on a work night.
   • Eat dessert first.
   • Watch a movie in the middle of the day.

Acting Like a Kid

1. Rediscover your favorite childhood book. Most of us enjoyed reading a specific book or series of books as children. Re-read your favorite to feel like a kid again.
   • For a more authentic and affordable experience, check out a book from the public library instead of ordering it online or shopping in a store.
   • Re-create the times you stayed up late reading under the covers with a flashlight.
2. Ride a bike. While automobiles present a convenient way to get from point A to point B, they tend to make you feel more like a grown up. Instead, try riding a bike so you can remember how it felt to coast down a hill with the wind in your face.
   • Don’t worry about heading to a specific destination. Most kids just enjoy riding for the fun of it.
3. Listen to music that was popular when you were younger. Research and rock out to a top 40 playlist from your youth.
   • Dig out your old CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, or vinyl to relive pleasure of music before the Internet. If you discarded all your old media, many Internet radio services already have playlists built around certain decades or years, so it shouldn’t be difficult to re-create the soundtrack of your childhood.
   • Most children don’t have the inhibitions that adults do, so sing and dance the way you used to.
4. Eat some of the treats you remember having as a child. As an adult, you probably agonize over what you eat, but as a kid, you likely had a favorite treat or food that was less than healthy. You don’t have to make a regular habit out of this, but enjoying some of these treats might help you feel like a kid again:
   • Popsicles or ice cream.
   • Pizza.
   • Candy.
   • A specific type of soda or fruit punch.
   • Cotton candy.
5. Revisit your childhood haunts. Recapture that youthful feeling and relive your glory days by visiting some of your childhood haunts. Here are a few locations to help get you started:
   • Fairs, the circus, or amusement parks.
   • Mini-golf courses.
   • Arcades.
   • Go-kart tracks.
   • Water parks.
   • Zoos.
   • Toy stores.
   • Skating rinks.
   • Playgrounds.
6. Splash in puddles or play in the mud. Kids play with a sense of abandon and don’t worry about making a mess. Put on clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, and splash around in puddles or make some mud pies.
7. Climb a tree. The pride of accomplishment that comes from climbing a tree and the sense of exhilaration that you feel when sitting up high will take you back to a simpler time.
   • Remember, you’re probably bigger now than you were the last time you attempted this, and make sure you reach for sturdy branches.
   • If you don’t care for heights, don’t despair. Try playing, reading, or enjoying a picnic below the tree.
8. Wear any outfit you feel like. Choose what you want to wear without worrying about whether it matches perfectly or conveys the right message to your peers or colleagues.
   • If you work in an environment with a strict dress code, it might be best to save this activity for your day off.
9. Chase down the ice cream truck. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with an ice-cream truck, take advantage of this opportunity usually reserved for kids. Ice-cream from the truck often tastes better than the kind you get at the store, and it can be hard to find some of these childhood treats anywhere else.
10. Visit a playground. Many people spend their childhoods swinging, sliding, and climbing a jungle gym at the playground. Visiting these places will remind you how it feels to play like a kid.
    • If you’re feeling adventurous, try tackling the monkey bars.
    • Much of this equipment is designed to hold the weight of children. Test it out carefully before using, because nothing makes you feel more like an adult than filling out emergency-room paperwork.
11. Dig out your art supplies. Although you might not consider yourself an artistic person, spending a little time engaged in creative activities will help you relax.
    • You don’t have to pick an elaborate craft or activity. Use modeling clay, a coloring book, or even paint by numbers for a simple but fun experience.
    • Art projects make great rainy day activity.
12. Play childhood games. Think about some of the games you enjoyed as a child, and recruit some friends or family members to join you. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
    • Hopscotch.
    • Four square.
    • Tag or capture the flag.
    • Dodgeball.
    • Hide-and-seek.
    • Jumping rope.
    • Board games.
    • Team sports.
13. Hang out with friends. When was the last time you just enjoyed being around your friends? Get your group together without a specific agenda, or enjoy some of the activities you used to love as kids.
    • Organize a slumber party.
    • Play video games.
    • Watch scary movies.
    • Play truth-or-dare.
    • Make a pact that you won't talk about work or adult responsibilities.

Maintaining a Youthful Perspective

1. Enjoy recess. Believe it or not, there was a time when you took regular breaks from work. If your work schedule allows, take breaks and enjoy a quick recess. Even if you have to wait until after work, schedule time during the day to do something fun.
   • Try one of the activities discussed above.
   • Instead of eating your lunch at your desk while doing work, try going on a picnic in the park.
   • Recess time in school usually involves physical exercise outside so use shorter breaks to enjoy a quick walk around the block instead of waiting in line for coffee. You can also bring your drink with you.
2. Make time for snack time. You might not have time to drag out a rest mat at work, but you can pack a snack to help you feel more like a kid. Snacking during the day keeps your blood sugar level and elevates your mood.
   • To feel even more like a kid, forgo the grown-up protein bar and pack a juice box, fruit snack, or pudding cup.
3. Embrace what you don’t know. While adults are often afraid to admit they don’t know or understand something, children readily absorb information and are excited to learn new things.
   • Take a community education class, join a book group, attend a lecture, or pick up a new hobby. If it seems daunting to venture out on your own, encourage a friend or family member to go with you.
4. Leave the stresses of work behind. Many adults bring workplace stresses home with them, which prevents you from feeling youthful. When you return home from the office, turn off your work email and avoid focusing on the day’s problems.
5. Smile and laugh. Researchers have found that children smile 400 times per day while adults only smile about 20 times per day. According to psychologists, smiling and laughing make you feel happier and more youthful, so get ready to grin and guffaw if you want to feel young.
6. Watch children’s movies and read children’s books. If you want to maintain a more youthful perspective, try watching a family-friendly movie or reading a book intended for a younger audience. These selections are often more lighthearted and less serious.
   • To take a trip down memory lane, pick one of your childhood favorites.
7. Play with your own kids or volunteer to work with children in your community. Spending quality time with kids is one of the best ways to feel youthful.
   • If you, your family, or your friends have children, try including them in the activities described above.
   • You can also volunteer at a local school, church, or community organization such as the Boys and Girls Club. These organizations are often looking for adults to serve as role models or mentors, and the children you interact with can teach you how to feel more like a kid again.

Tips

• To feel like a kid again, listen to music, read books, watch movies, or eat snacks that remind you of your childhood.

Warnings

• Parks and playgrounds are great places to feel like a kid again, but be aware that some parents and community members might be wary of an adult without children visiting these places.
• Schools, churches, and community organizations often perform background checks on potential volunteers.

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Sources and Citations

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