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5 Practical Ways To Forgive Yourself And Start Moving Forward
We all make mistakes. Sometimes we do things that we regret or act in a way that is not true to our values, and it can be hard to forgive ourselves for these actions.
But the sooner you learn how to forgive yourself for your mistakes, the sooner you will start living life on your terms instead of feeling like you are stuck with them forever.
In this blog post, let’s discuss five practical ways to help you find forgiveness and move forward with your life.
Table of Contents
5 Ways To Forgive Yourself
Understand that you deserve forgiveness
Forgive yourself for your mistakes by forgiving others and letting go of past grudges.
Give yourself the gift of time – take a day off from work to decompress
Get rid of all reminders of what happened, including photos, emails, or anything else related to it
Do something nice for yourself as a way to start moving forward with peace and happiness in mind
1) Understand that you deserve forgiveness
The first step in learning how to forgive yourself is to understand that you deserve forgiveness.
Everyone makes mistakes, and forgiving yourself will not make you a bad person; on the contrary, it shows that you can take responsibility for your actions instead of making excuses or pretending as nothing has happened.
“Forgiveness is the final form of love.” – Paul Boese.
By forgiving yourself, you will be able to move forward with your life instead of dwelling in regret and pain. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, and by forgiving yourself, you let go of all past hurts and start living a happier life.
2) Letting go of past grudges
Secondly, I recommend forgiving others who hurt you in the past – even if they don’t seem to regret what they did.
Of course, it’s okay if you want to confront them about their actions because sometimes people need help to realize their mistakes before they can apologize.
However, holding onto anger and resentment towards someone who hurt you is counterproductive, and it will not help you move forward.
“To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Move on with your life and start living in the present by forgiving others for their mistakes and forgiving yourself for what you did wrong. When you let go of the past, you free yourself!
3) Give yourself the gift of time
Give yourself the gift of your time as a way to help you recharge, and remember that today is a new day.
Sometimes it’s good to retreat from our busy lives to get back on track and find what we are looking for.
Instead of beating yourself up over your past mistakes, take a day off from work to decompress and spend some quality time with yourself.
Go for a long walk in nature, meditate or do anything that makes you relax as soon as you feel the need to forgive yourself.
4) Get rid of all reminders of what happened in the past
Get rid of all the things that remind you of what happened. For example, get rid of photos, emails, and other things that remind you of what happened so that you can start living in the present.
This way, you will be able to forgive yourself by not thinking about your past mistakes anymore.
“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.” – Rebecca Ann Parker.
5) Do something nice for yourself
Lastly, do something nice for yourself to start moving forward with peace and happiness in mind.
How do you want to spend this day? Do you have any special plans, such as going out with friends or spending time at home?
Whether you decide to go shopping, binge-watch your favorite shows or sleep in until noon today – treat yourself to something special to help you realize that life goes on. Be kind to yourself, and don’t dwell on the past!
Final Thoughts:
Forgiving yourself and moving forward is difficult. We all have to do it at some point, but it can be challenging when you feel resentful or regretful about a past mistake.
The steps mentioned above will help get you started on the path of forgiveness that will allow your heart to heal and start living in freedom.
What’s your strategy for forgiving yourself? Do these five steps seem like they could work for you?
