Adulthood can be a buzzkill. All those bills and responsibilities. Yet some grown-ups manage to hold on to their adolescent positivity, curiosity and self-expression. Call it embracing your inner child. “The inner child is a metaphor to describe, understand or resolve issues that have affected us from childhood,” says therapist and author Dr Audrey Tang. Tapping into our younger selves is not just about redressing childhood trauma. It is about breaking free from expectations that we have internalised over the years.

“Adults are overly regulated,” Dr Tang says, “We live by many rules – our own rules, rules in our work and society – which can become quite overwhelming, and we might lose sight of who we are.” Doing things we loved doing as kids and expressing ourselves in new creative ways can help us regain a sense of youthful freedom.

Take Tyler, the Creator. When asked about his life philosophy in an interview panel with Converse, he said, “A lot of people, when they get older, they lose that [imagination]. If you gave me a billion dollars right now, untaxed, 10 out of 10 times I would still be doing the same thing – riding my bike, dressing the same. I’m so in tune with what I like and love and what truly gives me joy.”

That child-like imagination is evident not only in his creative pursuits, but also in his style. Whether it’s his Igor era blond wig or the Euro-prep style of his alter ego, Tyler Baudelaire, he takes a dressing-up-box approach to fashion that feels authentic.

Fashion is one of many vehicles via which we can examine and reconnect with our younger selves. As we grow up, “We get a sense of awareness, we might be more inhibited, we become shy,” says Professor Carolyn Mair, a behavioural psychologist and author of The Psychology Of Fashion. “We might be more inhibited, we become shy. That’s why fashion is so anxiety-provoking for so many people, because there’s always a risk we’re thinking what people might think of us.”

A lot of people tend to stick to what they know and adopt a specific uniform or style that conforms to what we think other people expect of us. “We get into habits and we carry on doing them because we’re programmed to do that,” Dr Tang says of our need to chase positive reinforcement.

On the other hand, “When you allow children to choose their own clothes, it doesn’t matter to them if things don’t go together,” Mair says. “My grandsons both insist on wearing unmatching socks because that’s cool to them.”

If you want to take a more light-hearted approach to getting dressed, there is plenty to delve into. Designers such as Dries Van Noten, Molly Goddard, JW Anderson and Collina Strada have always brought a child-like energy to their designs through their use of bright colours, patterns and unconventional silhouettes. Elsewhere, more playful and nostalgic styles are gaining traction. Think bright fuzzy sweaters by brands such as Marni and The Elder Statesman, or the enduring trend for fun jewellery that prioritises character over carats.

Follow the lead of the TikTok generation, for whom the idea of trying on different personas is second nature. This might mean wearing Crocs or Moon Boots one day and ballet-inspired dressing with ribbons and leg warmers the next, or kidcore, blokecore and cottagecore all in one week. It can sound wacky, but there are mental health benefits. “It stimulates the mind and reframes your thinking,” Dr Tang says. Experimenting with new looks and colours can boost our levels of the feel-good hormone dopamine.

The trickiest bit is not to care about being judged. “It’s not that easy,” says Mair. “You have to be comfortable as well as quite confident – confident enough that you can be resilient [despite] the feedback or comments, the looks you might get.”

If you’re not ready to go all out, start small. Rather than a bold outfit, try a different bag or different shoes. Once you’ve given it a go, Dr Tang suggests asking your child to dress you.

Embracing one’s inner child will look different for every person. You might decide to go for full-on dopamine dressing in bright block colours, opt for Napoleon Dynamite-worthy ironic graphic T-shirts or buy those Air Jordans you desperately wanted as a teenager. The key is to rediscover that youthful excitement in getting dressed and then hold onto it. If it makes you smile, wear it.