7 Ways to Let Go of the Past and Move On
It’s truly not always easy to move from the pain of the past.
If you’re still stuck there, don’t be too hard on yourself, most people have been there. However, you need to make thefirm decision to move on today for your own good.
If you are struggling to let go of the past, here are 7 ways you can heal and move on:
1. Don’t Suppress Your Emotions
Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.”
― Sigmund Freud
Suppressing your emotions is a temporary fix that will only hurt you in the long run. To begin the healing process, you have to address the pain and trauma you experienced in the past.
Allow yourself to feel your emotions and acknowledge how past situations made you feel. This will help you understand what exactly is bothering you and help you begin the journey towards healing.
2. Don’t Dwell on Negative Thoughts
Express your emotions but don’t let your mind dwell on negative thoughts as they can lead to depression, self-hate, and low self-esteem.
When a negative thought involving a past situation crosses your mind, cut it off immediately and guide your mind back to the present. Remind yourself that the past is gone and resolve to focus on the positives of the present going forward.
3. Forgive Those Who Have Hurt You
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
— Lewis B. Smedes
Forgiving people who have hurt you can be really hard, especially when they show no remorse. However, you need to understand that the only person you hurt when you hold on to toxic emotions like hatred, anger, spite, and resentment is you.
These emotions rob you of your happiness and keep you stuck in your past pain while those that they are directed at remain completely unaffected.
Love yourself enough to forgive those who have hurt you, and set yourself free. Even if they never apologize.
4. Forgive Yourself
When we make mistakes, we are often unable to forgive ourselves and we become consumed by overwhelming feelings of shame, guilt, self-loathing, and self-condemnation. These emotions are dangerous as they can make you depressed and keep you from moving on from your past trauma.
To truly heal, you must forgive yourself for everything and show yourself the same compassion you would show a close friend. Doing this will bring you inner peace and set your mind free of negativity.
5. Learn From Your Experience
Everyone has bad experiences but what really matters at the end of the day is how we react to them.
Instead of wasting time regretting your past actions or ruminating about what you could have done differently, reflect on your traumatic experience and find lessons in it. Then apply the knowledge you gain to your life and make a conscious effort not to repeat your mistakes.
6. Stop Playing the Victim
It’s easy to point fingers at everyone else except yourself as it absolves you of all blame and makes you feel like the better person. However, when you do this, you risk missing out on important life lessons and you may end up making the same mistakes again as a result.
So rather than blame others, admit your wrongdoings and hold yourself accountable for your actions. This will help you become a better person and help you make better decisions in the future.
7. Embrace the Present
The past is gone and the only thing that matters today is what you choose to do in the present. Instead of brooding over the past and getting consumed by negativity, immerse yourself in productive activities and enjoy the present moment.
Focus on achieving your goals. Do the things you love. Spend time with people that make you happy. Go out and meet new people. Learn a new skill. The past has stolen enough of your present, don’t let it steal your future.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes, life happens and things go wrong.
Things don’t turn out how we hoped or planned and lots of times, we wish we can go back in time and do things differently, but we can’t. So, what really is there to do about the past except pick up the pieces and move on?
Please do not delay any further, start the journey to let go of the past today. You owe it to yourself and your future self will be glad you did.
No amount of wishing or regret will change the past. What’s done is done. Make the decision to let go of the past today, your future self will thank you.
