Letting go is challenging, but can be a boon to your well-being.
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We have a natural tendency to dwell on the past.
The tricky part, of course, is that letting go isnt exactly easy.
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Leanza notes that our brains are hard-wired to hold ontonegative thoughts and experiencesmore than the positive ones.
Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide on letting go.
Step 1: Acceptance
Acceptance is deeply powerful.
By acceptance, we mean sidestepping denial and avoiding strong desires to change reality.
Its about accepting the world as it is, people as they are, and you as yourself.
Letting go of our emotional baggage is a process andwe must chooseto let it go.
Step 2: Forgiveness
Forgivenessfollows acceptance.
This also means forgiving yourself and practicing self-compassion.
This may be even more difficult than forgiving others, particularly if you struggle with feeling worthy or deserving.
This helps describe a persons thoughts and behaviors based on emotional, reasonable, and wisdom minds.
Emotion and logic are of equal importance and come together to form Wise Mind, Busardo explains.
Wise mind is considered the optimal state of mind for decision making.
She says that the more we practice mindfulness, the easier it becomes to access that wise mind.
Here are some additional tips to help you process the past and feel excited about the present and future.
Practice Radical Acceptance
This skill involves accepting reality at face value without trying to change it.
Accepting a situation when the circumstances are out of our control can reduce the suffering we feel.
Even initiating the process can have great benefits, such as decreased suffering and improved relationships.
Letting myself go forward past wrongs: How regulatory modes affect self-forgiveness.
PLoS ONE, 13(3), e0193357.
2009;5(5):265-71. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2009.06.005
