Posted on November 4, 2022.

Autumn 2022 is going to be allll about celebrating and honoring your inner child. This means that we will be tapping into the things that sparked joy for us as children, seeking out activities that make us feel safe and happy, and reflecting on every step of the way.

What does this have to do with sobriety? Only everything! *pushes glasses up nose* If you haven't heard about the importance of inner child work, you can learn more by reading books like:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson
It Didn't Start with You by Mark Wolynn

and visiting @heytiffanieroe on Instagram. For our purposes, we can look at it this way: As we have grown and become almost singularly focused on surviving, many of us don't often think to do the things that made us feel free and joyful as kids. I mean, how many times have you thought, Well, I don't drink so what am I even supposed to do for fun? Will people think I'm super boring? Fret not, my sober beauty!

Enter: Inner Child Autumn. This fall, we are doing all of the things we miss doing or never had the chance to do during childhood. For example, Maria, one of our original members and inner child goddess, has picked up roller skating this year and booked concerts to all of her favorite throwback artists: The Backstreet Boys, Ne-Yo, probably someone else I can't remember...anyway, the point is, Maria is jumping in with both feet. After getting her new pair of roller skates, she went skating with a friend, took Polaroids, and laughed her ass off. It didn't matter if she was any good or not--she was there to play. She made intentional choices to do the things she didn't get to do as a child, like going to see concerts.

So here's the plan. Inner Child Autumn will include a few important but easy steps, which you can start and replicate anytime! These steps were designed for you to get the most bang for your social-emotional buck.

1. Reflect: Grad a journal or notebook and something to write with. Bonus: Write with things that feel special or fit your inner child's aesthetic. Find somewhere comfortable and quiet to sit and spend 5-10 minutes reflecting. Focus on memories from your childhood that feel special and bring on positive feelings, such as laughter, joy, freedom, etc. Picture those moments in as much detail as possible. What were you wearing? Who were you with? What were the smells? What was the weather like? What were you doing in this memory? Jot down as many details as possible and repeat this as many times as you want to.

2. Draft your bucket list: Next up, look over your list and synthesize the information you have. Create a list of important events you want to replicate. This could be something as simple as rolling down a big grassy hill or making a daisy chain, or as big as visiting a waterpark with your best friends or going to a concert. No matter how big or how small, add it to your list. Don't worry if you can't afford it right now or if you don't have to space in your schedule. You're making a bucket list; this list doesn't have to fit within your notion of reasonable or rational right now. This list can be written out in your notebook and kept there, or you can add it your the Notes app on your phone. Just make sure that it's somewhere you can come back to and revisit.

3. Prioritize & Plan: After you have created your list, take a moment to look it over. You can also add any new ideas that pop into your mind after looking it over. After a once over, think about which items on your list are the most attainable right now. These might be aligned with the fall weather, they might be the more affordable options, or they might be the ones that make you feel the most excited. These items are the ones you are going to work on this fall!

4. Share: Believe it or not, creating a list of your hopes and dreams and then shoving it in a drawer is not the most effective way of making things happen (I know, I was just as shocked as you). Since it is officially Accountability Season, take your prioritized "shortlist" and go public. Use The Sober Book Club's template to post your list to you social media accounts and tag us! I swear, every time I see someone else's hit list, I add more to mine. Then, once you start working through your list, we want to see it. Take pictures and tag our account and use hashtag #innerchildautumn22 so that we can all see the amazing things you're doing and celebrate with you!

5. Reflect (optional): I love a reflective cycle. When you start completing challenges from your list, it can be really powerful to take time to reflect and journal about it. You might be surprised at how you feel and how deeply. You might have some revelations that you weren't expecting. Reflecting and writing down your reactions can be a very helpful and healing part of tapping into the Little You inside.