Why You Should Let It Go
Elsa may have been on to something when she sang the iconic “Let It Go.” Letting go of grudges and, ultimately, the pain associated with them has been suggested to offer a multitude of benefits to both a person’s mental health and overall well-being.
The Mental Wellness Benefits of Forgiveness
Forgiveness can have many significant mental health benefits for a person. These include:
- Reduced Levels of Depression, Stress, and Anxiety: Letting go of resentment and anger through forgiveness can lower a person’s overall stress levels and alleviate the anxiety that is associated with holding onto negative thoughts and emotions. The mindset shift associated with it can also reduce symptoms of depression like sadness and hopelessness.
- Boosted Emotional Wellness: Forgiveness can increase feelings of happiness, peace, and emotional stability. It helps promote a more optimistic outlook on life, as forgiveness allows one to adjust their thinking patterns positively.
- Enhanced Relationships: Forgiveness can repair and strengthen once-broken relationships by promoting empathy, understanding, and trust between two people. It allows for healthier interactions and communication with others.
- Higher Self-esteem: By forgiving others or oneself, individuals can develop a greater sense of self-worth and self-respect, contributing to overall mental well-being. This could be related to the social benefits of forgiveness, as social health is deeply related to self-esteem.
- Promotion of Resilience: Social health is related to mental resilience. Since forgiveness has been associated with boosted relationships, it can also be associated with helping individuals cope with adversity, allowing them to bounce back from challenging situations more effectively.
Tips for Letting Go
Hearing about the many benefits of forgiveness is great, but doesn’t necessarily make it easy. Letting go of grudges and past hurts can be a significant challenge to overcome, regardless of its benefits. If you’re struggling with forgiveness, we’re here with some tips to help you:
- Acknowledge and Validate Your Feelings: Make time to validate and recognize the hurt or anger you feel as a response to the other person’s actions. Experience and process these emotions without passing judgment on yourself.
- Consider A Different Perspective: it can be hard to view another person’s perspective after they’ve hurt you. However, understanding the other person’s point of view or circumstances that may have led to their actions can foster a sense of empathy and make forgiveness easier.
- Detach Yourself from the Outcome of Letting Go: it is imperative to remember the goal behind forgiveness is for your own peace of mind, not reconciliation. Let go of any expectations you may have about how the other person should respond or change.
- Set Boundaries: Forgiving does not mean forgetting. If someone’s past offense was severe or ongoing, setting healthy boundaries to protect yourself while still working towards forgiveness will be beneficial to your journey to peace.
- Focus on the Present: Moving toward the present moment and the positive things to come will allow you to let go of the pains in your past. Forgiveness can come easier when you work to place your focus on the present moment.
- Seek Support: Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist about your feelings and struggles with forgiveness. They can provide perspective and support you through the process.
How CBT Can Help
Cognitive behavioral therapy, otherwise known as CBT, is a hugely popular form of therapy thanks to the many success stories and proof supporting its effectiveness.
CBT encourages people to talk through their thoughts, emotions, and struggles, ultimately learning how to reshape their thinking patterns to better benefit their well-being.
This helps with the process of letting go as it allows a person to become more aware of their thinking patterns that are leading to holding on to a grudge. It then gives them the tools to change these thinking patterns.
We Are Here for You
Are you ready to pursue CBT? We’re here to help. Contact us today, and one of our skilled therapists will work to help you let it go.
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Keywords: CBT, mental wellness, forgiveness, trauma, therapy