You can stream the podcast here. Or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, and Pocket Casts. You can also search for Root and Rise Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

Journal Prompts for Triggers

If you are feeling triggered, reactive, or highly emotional, I recommend doing the journal prompts for triggers first before starting this exercise.

Inner Child Journal Prompts

• Check-in with your body. Do a mindful scan of each of your body parts to see how they are feeling right now. Are you feeling any pain? Or tensing muscles?
• If so, acknowledge them.
• Finish this sentence: I feel_______
• And this sentence: I need ______
  • These two journal prompts are questions I ask myself anytime I am feeling intense emotions. I use these Feelings and Needs Cards to help me better understand what is happening to me at that moment. I hope you find some value in them as well!

Inner Dialogue

• What are the negative feelings or thoughts you are having about yourself?
• What is the truth about those thoughts?
• What do you need at this moment to be able to cope with these feelings?

Wounded Inner Child

• As a child, what do you feel you needed (and didn’t receive) growing up?
• How might this be impacting you in the present moment?
• What fear does your inner child have?
• How might this fear be impacting you in this present moment?

Inner Child Journal Prompts to Uncover Memories

• What memory is coming up for you when you feel this feeling or think this thought? (it’s ok if nothing comes up right away – use the exercise to find your inner child for this)
• How old are you in this memory?
• What is this version of you experiencing? Feeling? Thinking?
• What kind of support did you need at that moment?
• How can you give yourself that support now?

Let Go of Unmet Needs and Disappointments

• Why are you holding onto these memories of unmet needs? (No judgment behind this question – we all hang onto the memories of unmet needs as children, even subconsciously. This question is just referring to this present moment or situation)
• What are you afraid to lose by letting it go?
• Consider whether or not you allow these unmet needs or traumas to define you.
• Think of the people in your life, does anyone trigger these same feelings?

Support System Questions

• Who did you look up to when you were younger?
• What did you admire about them?
• How can you approach yourself with those traits?
• Think of someone in your life who was nurturing. How did they show you love and support?
• And how can you respond to yourself in the same way they would?
• What would you say if your (real or imagined) child approached you with the feelings or thoughts that you are experiencing?

Your Healed Inner Child

• What do you think your future, wiser, more healed version of yourself would do at this moment?
• How do you wish you could react to this?
• What do you wish you could have said or done at the moment?
• Take a moment to visualize yourself doing exactly that the next time you are in this position.
• What would it feel like to handle this situation or moment in that way?

Positive Inner Child

• What positive traits or qualities did you have as a child?
• How can you channel these same traits or qualities into yourself now?
• What did you enjoy as a child?
• How can you bring that enjoyment into your day today?

Gratitude

• Thank this inner child version of yourself for bringing up this new awareness for you.
• Acknowledge the experience that version went through.
• Validate the feelings they feel.
• Release this version of yourself from feeling hurt, wounded, or scared at this moment. The older, wiser, more healed version of yourself now has it under control.

You’ve Got a Friend in Me

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Want more?

Check out these articles:

• How to Reparent Yourself Using These 5 Powerful Techniques
• Ending Intergenerational Trauma
• The Mother Wound: How it Impacts Us and How to Begin Healing
• How to Deal with Triggers

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