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Stop Torturing Yourself By Living in The Past
It’s only hurting present you.
We’ve all tried to bring back things that have died—experiences, relationships, feelings.
It’s hard to let go of these moments, people, and emotions that have left jovial influences on our life.
They’re effective in brightening up our mood when the current moment we’re in feels like we have a rain cloud spelled over us.
But living in the past is only hurting you more. This is because, as Mike Berring writes, you’re trying to hold onto something that is gone and can never be attained by you again.
To have a happier present, we must cease living out our old days in our minds.
To do that, we should:
Acknowledge Our Emotions About Our Past
Too often, we fail to acknowledge feel emotions we’ve previously felt.
Neglecting to recognize these emotions may not seem like a huge deal, but it is; you’re hurting yourself.
“Acknowledge your emotions and validate yourself for feeling them.”
You’re entitled to feeling whatever emotions you may have so that you can move on to healing them.
Dwell Less on Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts trespassing in your brain are inevitable.
But it’s important to acknowledge and redirect them; negative thoughts are thoughts that do not serve us.
They only rip us apart as the teeth of a shark would.
When you find yourself having a negative thought, try pausing a moment.
Identify where the thought originated from, why you’re feeling it, and then let it roll out of your brain if it doesn’t serve you.
Trying not to live in past moments is a challenge.
Especially when a specific trigger stirs up the memory.
Just remember the past is gone, but the present is something you have complete control over.
Use the tips above to help you cease letting your mind drift off to the past.
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