It seems a lot of people feel a sense of negativity and guilt these days for many varied reasons. You could feel this way because of your circumstances, relationships, hard times, and even the state of the economy.
People can feel guilty about any number of things. Some don’t think they’re working hard enough, while others feel guilty about working too much rather than being at home with their families. Do you feel guilty about the way a relationship has turned out? You wouldn’t be alone in having those feelings.
What about negativity? Some people feel bad about themselves because of past actions while some have harbored negative emotions about others. There are any number of reasons why you may have held onto negative thoughts about yourself or others. It’s time to learn to let those negative and guilty feelings go. It’s also time to stop punishing yourself for past mistakes and learn to love yourself again. Read on to find out how.
- Acknowledge. Realize harboring negativity or guilty feelings doesn’t do you any good. In fact, these emotions don’t do anyone any good. Since they’re not productive in any way, shape or form, it’s time to let them go.
- Let Go. Letting go of negative emotions is a lot easier than most people think. Once you realize these feelings won’t help you but are probably hurting you, it’s easier to release them once and for all.
- Visualize. Imagine taking all of the guilty feelings and negativity you’ve kept hidden in the recesses of your heart and mind. Roll them into a compact ball you can hold in your hand. Simply let the ball drop to the ground. Don’t try to catch it if it bounces; rather let it bounce and roll away and then leave it there. If these feelings creep back in, repeat this process.
- Verbalize. Say out loud, “I forgive myself for ___________” and then fill in the blank. You may have a laundry list of things you think you’ve done wrong. If you have to, write everything down and repeat this statement for each item. Once you’ve gone through your entire list of items to forgive yourself for, simply tear up the list and put it in the trash. You can do the same thing for each person you feel has done you wrong or that you need to forgive.
- Invest in YOU. Choose to do something which will make you feel good about yourself. Go for a bike ride, take a weekend trip, or go to see a movie. Invest some time in yourself. You deserve to feel good. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive or overly time consuming, even 5 minutes of self care can do wonders for you and those around you! Now go find something that can work for you to accomplish this.
- Support. Surround yourself with friends who are encouraging rather than discouraging. Sometimes we have friends and family members that we love dearly, but can bring us down. These relationships are honestly a bit of trial and error to see how they fit into your life. Having a supportive, positive, and encouraging circle of friends and family can do wonders!
There may be times when you begin having these negative feelings again, but that doesn’t mean you have to hold onto these emotions. Now you have tools you can use to free yourself from negative and guilty feelings. You’ll be better prepared to deal with them right away when they pop back into your life.
Life’s too short to deal with negativity and guilt; let it go and feel good about yourself! YOU deserve it!
