Have you ever felt wrong about something you’ve done?
Feelings of guilt and remorse are only natural and indicate a healthy emotional state. However, if you don’t forgive yourself, your mental and emotional health may be affected. It may also affect your daily life, work and relationships negatively.
This is why it’s crucial to master self-forgiveness and move on from difficult situations and events.
After all, we’re all humans and make mistakes, right?
Three Steps to Self-Forgiveness
Forgiving yourself is easier said than done, and many people struggle to get over the feelings of guilt and remorse. Follow these steps to help you on your way to self-forgiveness:
Acknowledge Your Fault
If you’re feeling guilty about something, then you’ve probably done something that is hurting your conscience. The first step in the healing process is to acknowledge your mistake. Say it out loud, and you’ll feel an instant relief as your thoughts begin to flow.
Acknowledging your mistake has been proven to be effective. It’s the reason why Alcohol Anonymous, the most successful alcohol therapy network, starts all its meetings with each member saying, “I am an alcoholic”.
Make Up for What You Did
Once you accept that you’re guilty or ashamed, the next step is to make amends. This may be as simple as saying “I’m sorry for…” or may involve paying for monetary damages, etc.
While there’s no way to recover the harm you’ve caused someone (or even yourself), making amends will help you in the process of healing emotionally.
Learn the Lesson
The final step in self-forgiveness is to learn from your mistake and avoid repeating it because your actions will always speak louder than your words. By doing so, you’ll grow as a person and repair your social relationships.
While this process is complex and may require you to explore your emotions in-depth, it’s also necessary for your mental and emotional health. Your changed behavior will ultimately be the “proof” that you have learned from a past event and can forgive yourself – and so can others.