Little when you don't want to be

Sometimes I find myself entering little space or just plain feeling tiny when I really should be in adult mode. Usually it's because I'm panicking about my mate being emotional about something and not knowing how to help her or when I don't want to do something.

Does anyone have any tips on how to snap myself back to "this is serious" when all I want to do is regress? Thanks!

I get this all the time. For me it is a bit easier to deal with since I work as an au-pair and take care of a two year old.

Most of the time I just play with them until something brings me back to mom mode, such as: we need to leave the house in half an hour to get somewhere on time, or they need a diaper change/ are hungry, I need to change/feed them.

Other than that, I can do a good amount of little stuff during work so long as it is at a socially acceptable level.

I get to play with blocks whenever I want ^w^

As for snapping back to big self...it can be tough sometimes. For me it is best to calm down first, 3 deep breaths, maybe hum for a while, then say 'it is time to do the thing'. Humming really helps for me. I used to do it all the time as a dishwasher, and it is both calming for me and helps me get in a productive mood (or a sleepy one if it is a lulluby).

For supporting a partner or anyone emotionally, it is good to be calm, empathize, and do things that are specifically related to their love language. (There are five, physical affection, spending quality time with them, giving gifts, doing acts of service, and showing affection through spoken language)

Usually they will use the ones that they also like to receive ie: touchie people like touchie, gift givers like gifts. This of course has some exceptions and variations, but is generally applicable.

I hope this helped \^~^✓ *hugs*

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I hear you. My baby time is at night, so sometimes in the evening, while watching TV with my wife, I start to feel that descent in to regression. I can deal with it then, but when it happens during a meeting at work, I have to push to tell myself, "not now". It sometimes feels like I will start crying. (There is a lot of pain in my childhood.)

I feel like this phenomena is commen even in people who haven't yet realized their little self is present.

Circumstances get tough or some neural pathway gets triggered, and the mind resorts to it's earliest memories of dealing with said pathways. (I've seen this happen with psychedelic regression in people having trouble coping with reality). It happens even with people in everyday life, raising our voices, stomping our feet, using body language, jumping from excitement; this is all (in my opinion) an expression of our littlest and truest selves. Unhindered and real. It's just about how we react to these impulses is what matters, the joy and laughter and little space can remain!

I think this is a natural mechanism of the mind not to be feared or looked down upon for being present within ourselves, but to be understood...

Perhaps the brain has a 'reset' button for certain things and we are gifted the ability to relive, and relearn how we relate to a situation, and change the neurology (brain wires!) associated with certain things. This can make traumatic experiences less intense and may even change how we view the whole event entirely. (This is what happens during psychedelic therapy!)

I feel that integrating this little side is paramount to all types of vulnerability; creativity of all kinds, opening up to others, opening up to yourself, sharing ideas, being open to new ones, understanding other people and especially children, as well as ingenuity, and newness, along with the flexibility of mind to change and develop genuine enthusiasm for things you love.

There are socially acceptable ways to integrate the inner child within us all, and I feel that guiding and disciplining ourselves to allow that little one to come out and be apart of life ( in a healthy way!! ) is what's most important, rather than "snapping out of it".

I feel like most of us as children were treated similarly, told to go away or to find something to do, when all we wanted was to be apart of things that grownups were doing. I think the same concept applies here, don't shun your little self for wanting to be apart of life! You deserve to be seen!

For me, I don't think I could ever snap out of little space.. my attention is guided towards other areas that actual kids really could not comprehend, but that same child-like enthusiasm remains, perhaps in a way that children may never know until their mind develops some more.

I don't feel that our inner child ever goes away... I just feel that some of us transmute it, box it up, or call it something else to feel like they fit in. I can literally still see the little girl in my mother and grandmother, it's just the age that hides the soul.

If you are looking for ways to snap out of little space, I would suggest finding creative ways to channel that energy in a socially acceptable way.

And make it okay for youself in your mind too!

Who says that littlespace is only at home with certain things or certain people? If you can cultivate a healthy awareness with your little time and little mind, it doesn't matter if you feel little in big places! Just find ways to be healthy and productive about your feelings. Don't let things get out of hand, (just like all emotions!) And be patient with yourself. You deserve to be little whenever you feel as long as you can still do you and your "s'ponsibilities" !!

For me, whenever I'm triggered into little mode, it's usually during something sad. I can always hold it in, despite appearing very sad on the outside (which is normal for me regardless of little involvement). Usually, I'll imagine myself as a little curling up either on a couch or in my bed with someone I love, and I imagine that person making me feel better. Judging by the fact that little me is relatively mature for her age, there's no real letting out of my little side unless I'm either alone or (in the past) with a friend who knew about my little side and embraced it. The only way I deal with it is by bottling it up, however unhealthy that may be. If your trigger is this bad, you may need to physically excuse yourself from the scenario to get yourself together, since bottling it up isn't healthy in the short run or the long run.

The more positive times I'm triggered usually involve fantasies of me and my friends in little situations (with them either being another little or being my caretaker). If not that, I'm triggered by something in a movie or TV show, and I tend to imagine how little me would react seeing the same content. (The last such positive trigger was several old toy/toy store ads on a tape I saw, which literally made me transform from 19 years old to 3 years old in about two seconds.) In the case of a happy trigger, just try Nim112's idea of taking a few breaths, calming down, and getting back on track. If that doesn't work, try the same strategy as the negative triggers and physically excuse yourself from the situation until you can get yourself together.

This isn't uncommon and happens to the best of us. I find that I slip into baby/little mode when I'm either overwhelmed by all the University work and career tasks hanging overhead or when I'm all tuckered out after a particularly hectic work period.

For me, staving off regression has been pretty easy. Over time, I've just learned how to compartmentalize and prioritize, so if I feel myself slipping, but I know I need to be an adult and get some work done, I usually catch myself and just hit the books, work, chores, etc.

Regression time after all my adult responsibilities are in order and my hard work is done is a great way of rewarding myself

So, as far as tips are concerned.... I guess, practice makes perfect

What I am trying to say is, the more this happens at times when you are busy, the easier it will become for you to catch yourself slipping and get back to the task at hand. Another thing you could try to do is be more vigilant, if you always keep your adult priorities in the back of your mind you'll find you won't slip into little mode unexpectedly like that. As others have said as well, if there are particular triggers behind this, try figure those out and find ways to better navigate around them.

Best of luck

I haven't any border between ,,little" and ,,adult" side. I personally don't consider myself as adult baby in any way. I never put myself in little mode. I always feels like absolutely adult person, nor for even short period of time like little.

But I really love things considered childish, like watching cartoons, hearing Mother goose club, I like Minnie mouse, Smurfs, Maya the bee... I love decorate my room with these characters, i am too very playful, especially with my stuffed animals, I too wears diapers (for medical reasons) and yes, who don't know me, can be sure, that I am true adult baby. But my mindset is absolutely different.

In reality, I am very dominant, aware about my adultness all the time.

I can switch between little and big at any time. It just hits me and I feel I need to be little.
Mostly it's when I get anxious but it does come on the I feel good about this as as well. I don't think I have a true devide between big and little.

I kind of had this happen to me yesterday, I normally wear 24/7 on the weekends by choice, so I was wearing a Northshore mega max w/ a plain navy blue onesie then regular clothes over it all. My girlfriend and I were doing our normal weekend errands and we stopped at the food store to pick up a few items for the week. Well I was already kind of wet, but not to bad when we went in there. Its my job to push the cart and reach for the high stuff, she picks everything because according to her I don't pay attention to sales enough. So somewhere in the pasta isle I had the urge to pee, I quietly kept to myself pushing the cart, she was in front looking at sauces, she asked me to grab a few jars from the top shelf, I did and I guess I was a little bulkier than normal because she gave me a smirk and a quick pat on my butt. The rest of the time we were at the store I felt like a little duck following mommy around.

Emotional stress can bring out one's "Inner Little".
It takes a lot of conscious effort for me to keep my "Little" inside.
He comes out when I am too cognitively/emotionally overloaded as an autistic senior citizen.
It takes a reall effort to put him back inside until I can get back home to my bedroom to "let my Little out" to play.