People are always looking for the latest diet, exercise routine, or beauty treatment to “fix” their problems. But what if there was a cure-all that had been around for centuries? The answer is forgiveness. Forgiveness and its sister skill, empathy, can help you become healthier and happier in many ways: physically (stress reduction), mentally (less anxiety), and emotionally (better relationships). And it doesn’t require anything more than your willingness to forgive others who have wronged you in some way.
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What Is Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is a decision to let go of resentment and anger towards someone who has hurt us. It doesn’t mean that we forget what happened, or that we continue to allow the person to hurt us. Forgiveness is simply a release of the negative feelings that we have towards the person.
Forgiveness is an important part of the human experience, and it can be difficult to forgive those who have hurt us. There are many benefits to forgiving others, including improved mental and physical health, and increased happiness. Forgiving someone does not mean that you condone their actions, but it does allow you to move on from the hurt that has been caused. Let’s take a closer look at why forgiving someone might be one of the best things you do all year—or ever.
Why Forgive Someone?
There are many reasons why we might choose to forgive someone. For some people, it’s about moving on from the hurt that has been caused. Others may feel that forgiveness is the right thing to do, even if the person who has wronged them doesn’t deserve it. And for some people, forgiving others can actually improve their mental and physical health. These are the reasons why forgiving will be beneficial-
- We live happier, healthier lives
- We improve our relationships with others and ourselves
- Our mental and physical health improves
Forgiving others is important because it can help us move forward in life instead of being stuck in the past. It allows us to let go of negative feelings that may be affecting our health and/or happiness, and can also teach us a lot about ourselves.
Another reason why it is important to forgive people is that if someone hurts us on purpose, holding on to feelings of anger and resentment will only make our lives worse.
Benefits of Forgiving Others
The benefits of exercising forgiveness are everywhere – from physical health, mental health, relationships with family members… But do we really know about this ability? Do we know how to exercise it? When we forgive someone, we let go of the negative feelings that we have towards them and replace these with positive emotions like compassion and understanding. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of forgiveness:
- Reduced stress levels
- More energy for things other than obsessing about what happened to you
- Increased health and wellness because you’re not holding onto your anger and resentment about what happened to you
- You can let go of negative feelings that affect your health
- You’ll have more energy for things other than obsessing about what happened to you
- Your mental clarity and focus increases
- You feel relieved since there is a sense of closure after forgiving someone
- You experience lower stress levels and increased happiness
Our mind has this great ability to overcome suffering but only if the suffering comes from inside, meaning that if someone or something outside yourself causes you pain then it won’t be as easy for us to move on as we do when the suffering comes from within. This is the key to forgiveness meditation, let’s say you’ve gone through a bad breakup, lost your job, or even experienced unrequited love.
No matter how much it hurts, if this happened because somebody did something wrong to you then in order to achieve peace and happiness again you will need to exercise forgiveness in that person or at least calm down by trying not to take what they’ve done against yourself which won’t be easy if that person is still hurting you with their words like when someone says they never loved you after breaking up with you. But when it comes to forgiving people who hurt us physically like our parents, for instance, it can be extremely hard since most of us are attached to them emotionally despite what they might have done wrong to us emotionally or physically.
How to Forgive Someone?
Forgiving someone is life-changing. “It changes the way you look at them, it changes the way you look at yourself. And it definitely changes the way they look at you, and that’s very important.” Watch to find out how to forgive someone for real!
There are a few steps you can take in order to learn how to forgive someone:
1. Take responsibility for your feelings
2. Acknowledge the wrongdoing of the other person
3. Communicate your feelings in a respectful way to that person
4. In the face of adversity, try not to react out of anger or fear
5. Look for opportunities to show compassion and forgiveness towards others (the same people who have wronged you)
Ways Forgiveness Through Meditation Can Change Your Life
We all make mistakes. And forgiving someone who wrongs us is one of the most difficult but rewarding things we can do. By choosing to forgive those who have wronged us, we gain strength at times when it might be easier to give up. We also gain a sense of perspective on what’s important in life. With less anger and resentment, we feel happier and more at peace with ourselves.
- Less stress and anxiety
- More peace of mind
- Increased happiness
- Lower blood pressure and heart rate
- Improved relationships with others and yourself
- Can let go of negative feelings that affect your health
- Will be able to experience greater mental clarity and focus
- Have a sense of closure, which makes you feel relieved
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful gifts we give to others, as well as ourselves. So next time somebody hurts you, keep this information in mind. Don’t give up on yourself or them by dwelling on the wrong they’ve done-choose to forgive so that you can move forward with your life!
Why Forgiving Someone Is Hard?
Forgiving someone can be difficult because-
- It requires letting go of the anger, resentment, and hurt that we feel. It means accepting that the person who wronged us is human and capable of making mistakes.
- Forgiveness also means relinquishing our control over the situation and releasing the desire for revenge.
- Finally, forgiving another person allows us to move on with our own life, instead of being stuck in the past.
What To Do If Someone Does Not Forgive You?
If someone does not forgive you, it can be difficult because you may feel as though you are not forgiven for what you did. You may also feel as though the person is not worth your time or energy.
If someone does not forgive you, there are a few things you can do:
- Talk to the person and explain your side of the story.
- Ask the person why they are not forgiving you and try to understand their perspective.
- Make amends with the person, if possible.
- Accept that the person may never forgive you, and move on.
Conclusion
Forgiving someone can be difficult because it requires letting go of the anger, resentment, and hurt that we feel. It means accepting that the person who wronged us is human and capable of making mistakes.
Forgiveness also means relinquishing our control over the situation and releasing the desire for revenge. Finally, forgiving another person allows us to move on with our own life, instead of being stuck in the past. Forgiving somebody doesn’t mean you are forgetting what they did to you or condoning their behavior. It simply means you are choosing to release yourself from the negative emotions that are holding you back from happiness. If you have been struggling to forgive someone, you can try therapy.
A Word From Therapy Mantra
Your mental health — Your psychological, emotional, and social well-being — has an impact on every aspect of your life. Positive mental health essentially allows you to effectively deal with life’s everyday challenges.
At TherapyMantra, we have a team of therapists who provide affordable online therapy to assist you with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, workplace Issues, addiction, relationship, OCD, LGBTQ, and PTSD. You can book a free therapy or download our free Android or iOS app.
