Hello! My name is Jonathan Carlin from the Youtube channel 'SuperCarlinBrothers'.

Hey, brother!

Where we love to talk about things like: Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Harry Potter. All that stuff. But today, Mike and Emma wanted me to host this episode of 'How to adult', and tell you guys how to embrace your inner child.

"I am Groot"

"I know that, you've said it like a thousand times"

I guess they think I'm an expert, or something.

One of the things that's so great about kids is how they see the future. As this place of just endless possibilities.

Whereas as you begin to get further into adulthood and take on more responsibilities, you might start thinking things like: 'how stuff is less possible than it used to be', and thinking like that can lead to complacency, and boredom, and stress.

And all those things can just loop back into each other, creating a really vicious cycle which is just... BLEH!

Fortunately, there's really easy ways to break this cycle just by embracing and indulging your inner child. That's the part of you that's a little more carefree, and optimistic, and creative, and less concerned with social pressures.

And it's really helpful because embracing your inner child can make you happier, it will release some stress, and it can help you focus in on what is really important to you.

Now I'm sure you've heard this term before (embracing your inner child) and I know it can be scary to some people. So I think it's worth knowing that embracing your inner child does not necessarily mean acting like a child.

That assumption is where I think a lot of people get tripped up, or self-conscious, or just embarrassed. But don't worry. There are plenty of super easy, normal, 'adult' things that you can do to indulge this part of you.

#1 (possibly the easiest thing on this list) - Watch a kids movie

This could just be one of your favorite movies from your childhood that just lets the nostalgia pour in. Or, even better, try to get a group of friends together to go see, like, the latest Pixar movie, or something, in theaters.

And I say 'Pixar' because it can be hard to convince a group of adults to go see a 'kids' movie, but Pixar movies are pretty universally accepted and are really enjoyable to all ages.

Except maybe, Cars 2 (why does this movie get all the hate?).... Ugh

#2 (I am very broadly going to say) - Art. Or just create something like painting or drawing.

And yes, I can hear you thinking "But J, I don't know how to draw or paint, it's scary!"

Yes, I know. Art can be a turnoff for people who don't consider themselves artsy or creative. But, don't worry. I suck at painting, too. Here is my solution:

Boom! I made this and it was super easy. Just buy canvas, put some tape on it, and then get paint, put you hands in the paint, and then just starting throwing it on the canvas. Peel it off, and, boom. Chaos within order.

Childhood. Adulthood.

Seriously super easy, I've made a few of these, they always end up looking cool, and modern, (whispering) and like you know what you're doing, aaaaand, they're fun.

I defy you to throw paint at stuff and not have fun. And bonus points if you throw it at the people you're with. (In other words, just cover everything with paint)

#3 - Journaling

Quick show of hands, how many of you have tried and failed to start a journal at some point in the past?

Hmmm. Yeah, ok, thought so. Me, too. Don't worry, I can fix that.

Journaling is just a great way to get your thoughts on paper and lighten your cognitive load, and just, reflect on your day. All of which will help reduce stress. I personally probably failed at starting a journal some 15 times before finally figuring it out.

So, here is my suggestion to you:

First, get an app. I recommend 'Day One', this is the one I use. It's super easy, it lets you type it on your phone or your computer, which makes it take less time, which makes it feel like less of a burden.

Two, try not to put any stress on yourself on what you're writing to be 'good writing'. That is what I always felt like tripped me up. Like, every single day I had to come up with some deep, meaningful entry for my journal.

No. Instead, my suggestion, literally just write out a list of everything you did that day in sentence form. Way easier! And believe me, once you get used to just writing everyday, eventually you will start to embellish on all of thing you're writing down.

Number Four (Four? Where's three? Oh, ok, we'll skip to four), Exercise.

Staying with me, this one can be super fun.

Mostly, when I hear adults talking about exercise it's doing things like lifting weights or running, and while that is great exercise it's not really for everyone.

My recommendation is to try some sort of alternative gym, like, a rock climbing gym or a trampoline gym. Things you might not have even considered working out.

You first think as them as a fun thing to do, and that's all you really have to do. Just go and have fun, and, bonus, points, you still get all the benefits of the workout. Trust me, you'll feel it in the morning.

Number Five: Party Games

For some reason most of the adults I know tend to stray away from board and/or part games in favor of more 'adult' type gatherings. And hey, I like a good wine and cheese night (or indeed a good wine and even more wine night) as much as the next guy.

But, I have had equally as much fun just replaying games from my childhood, like, Uno, or Apples to Apples, or Twister, or Jenga. Oh, I love Jenga.

Heck, if you really just want something that's more 'adult', I daresay even games like Cards Against Humanity would count towards this as long as, you know, you're not easily offended. (Very true)

Number Six: Playing with Kids

Nieces, nephews, little cousins, whoever it may be nobody is better at being a kid than kids.

The bonus here is that you can abandon all pretense. Playing with a child gives you 100% liberty to act like a child. Because hey, you're just trying to make sure that this kid has the most amount of fun. Right?

This is how I spent most of my Christmas break last year. Just building Legos, and K'nex, and playing with blocks, and sending so many Slinkys down the stairs I cannot even count.

I think the rest of my family thought I was just humoring my little cousins, but honestly, I was having just as much fun as they were.

Boom! That's it!

Those are all of my tips on how to embrace your inner child. But if you have more suggestions, please let everyone else know down in the comments section. Or just let me know if this list was helpful to you in reducing some stress, or just getting into different things you were maybe otherwise afraid to get into.

And, just a big thank you to Mike and Emma (thanks, you two) for letting me help host a video on their channel today.

But, if you're missing Mike and just have to see him today, good news! Me and him just hosted a Pixar debate over on my channel about whether or not Wall-E is actually the villain of... Wall-E. You can go check out that video right here.

I'm just gonna... let that simmer...

And speaking of Mike, I feel like I have to mention that he just wrote a book: 'Mr. Fahrenheit' that come out next Tuesday, April 19th. You can pre-order your copy today though, via the link in the description.

And you should totally do that, because if you take a picture of yourself and post it on social media with #MrFahrenheit and #Sweeps, you'll be entered in to win some awesome contest prizes. Like having your name as one of the characters in his future book, or getting free books for life! (BOOOKS!!)

I mean, fuuuf, sound pretty awesome. Again, that link is down in the description below, and you can get more information about that at TMichaelMartin.com/GiveAWay

That's it for me, I hope I will see you guys all over at SuperCarlinBrothers. But Mike, thanks again for letting me be in this video.

I will see you in another life, brother.