Sometimes when someone has done something to upset or hurt you, the best thing you can do is forgive them. Although this might be the last thing you want to do, it can be beneficial in the long run. Research has shown that forgiveness can reduce depression, anxiety and stress as well as leading to more fulfilling relationships.
Holding onto resentment can cause you to bring negativity into other elements of your life which can be harmful to your relationships with others as well as with yourself.
So what should you do if someone hurts you?
While forgiveness has shown to have health benefits, it can be difficult to achieve straight away. So here are a few tips to help you towards forgiveness:
Remember why you’re forgiving them
Carrying resentment around with you can be damaging to your health and can take up more energy than it’s worth. Reflecting on the fact that you’re forgiving for your own sake not theirs can help with the process of forgiveness.
Mistakes are what make us human
No one is perfect; we’re bound to make mistakes every once in a while. Sometimes mistakes are unavoidable and are what help us learn in the long run. Consider this when something has upset you, it may have been an honest mistake.
What if the roles were reversed?
Think back to a time when you’ve asked for forgiveness and consider how much it would have meant to you. Now that it’s their turn to make a mistake, they must be feeling the same way. After all, if you can’t forgive, how can you ever expect to be forgiven?
Express how you feel
When trying to forgive someone, built up feelings that you haven’t expressed to them might get in your way. If you haven’t expressed how they’ve made you feel and why you feel that way, they might fail to see what they’ve done wrong. You may also carry this built up anger around with you even after trying to forgive them, putting a strain on your relationship.
For more Health and Fitness Tips, take a look at last month’s blog post.