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Feb 13, 2020 · Most people can't let go of the past because they don't appreciate their present. Reframing our relationship with our past requires us to stop thinking of how things should be and accept them...
- Consider questioning if the pain is comfortable. Sometimes when you’ve hurt long enough, you may get used to the emotional pain. Maybe it feels safe and familiar.
- Consider letting it out. Sometimes, to heal, you first need to feel it. Bottling up your thoughts and emotions may hurt you more in the long run and make it hard to let go, particularly if you keep thinking about the past and what harmed you.
- Consider taking accountability. Taking accountability doesn’t mean you have to blame yourself for things that happened to you in the past. It’s more about realizing how much energy you’re spending on remembering or feeling things that are no longer your present.
- Try to make space for the new. Focusing on past events may leave little room in your heart and mind for new experiences, including those that may bring you joy.
- Be intentional. As you realize you're stuck in the past, you may have a realization that something needs to change in order for you to move forward. Personal growth and progress always starts with an intention—a wanting and a willingness to do something differently in order to get a different result.
- Take the time to process your thoughts and emotions. Understand that healing is not linear, and letting go takes time. After all, we can't change the past, and we may never be the same—but that doesn't mean we have to stay stuck.
- Work with an affirmation or mantra. Affirmations and mantras can be a powerful tool to help "rewire" negative thought loops, priming the brain to look for and believe in what it is you're telling yourself, which is why Richmond recommends them for letting go of the past.
- Cultivate mindfulness. We may not even realize we're stuck in the past if we aren't consciously aware of the thoughts that run amok in our minds. As such, Spinelli says, mindfulness is an important practice for letting go of the past.
- Create a positive mantra to counter the painful thoughts. How you talk to yourself can either move you forward or keep you stuck. Often, having a mantra that you tell yourself in times of emotional pain can help you reframe your thoughts.
- Create physical distance. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say that you should distance yourself from the person or situation that is causing you to be upset.
- Do your own work. Focusing on yourself is important. You have to make the choice to address the hurt that you’ve experienced. When you think about a person who caused you pain, bring yourself back to the present.
- Practice mindfulness. The more we can bring our focus to the present moment, says Lisa Olivera, a licensed marriage and family therapist, the less impact our past or future has on us.
Mar 7, 2024 · Learning how to let go of the past is often easier said than done. Here are some effective strategies to move forward, foster personal growth, and embrace your future.
- Wendy Rose Gould
Aug 6, 2021 · Here are seven rituals you can use to help you let go of the past: Table of Contents. 1. Burning ritual for letting go. Burning rituals are commonly performed on New Year’s Eve or other meaningful holidays, as a way to release something that no longer benefits you.
Apr 27, 2016 · How To Let Go Of The Past. STEP #1: Acceptance. The first step in letting go of the past is acceptance. Acceptance doesn’t mean condoning or justifying what happened; it simply means acknowledging that it did happen and choosing to move forward despite it. No amount of dwelling on the past can change what has already occurred…
