July 14
Check in
How to practice Forgiveness
Forgiveness is the conscious act of letting go of anger/resentment to oneself or another, “regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness”. There are somethings that are very hard to forgive, and maybe there is more time needed there. You may not forgive at all. But there are other things in life where you might want to forgive to let yourself be free of those negative feelings. You can read this article on “Why You Don’t Always Have to Forgive” if you want to learn more.
There is forgiveness to someone else and there is forgiveness towards yourself.
Here are your check in questions:
1. Why am I choosing to forgive? Does this person deserve it? Is it to be free of negative feelings weighing me down?
2. For what do I need to self forgive? (if there is something)
You can check out this illustration from Instagram if you need encouragement for self-forgiveness :)
Activities
Steps to Self Forgiveness
Self forgiveness is important for mental wellbeing because research shows that those who self forgiveness experience higher levels of emotional and mental wellbeing. We learn to deal with our self criticism in a healthy way by forgiving our mistakes and growing from them.
Here is a breakdown of steps to self forgiveness:
realize that whatever you did or said is in the past. the only thing you can do now is to move on and forward.
recognize that by not forgiving yourself, you might be causing additional hurt and stress for yourself. that’s okay. we’re here to help.
self acceptance. Know that everyone is human and everyone will do things they regret. It’s okay to forgive yourself when you need it. U
You can try writing a forgiveness letter if that helps. Click here for more instructions.
Self Care
After you forgive, be ready to start anew and take care of yourself. Yes, we make mistakes but we will grow from them.
When you find yourself falling back into self criticism, try these things:
write down a few things you like about yourself. Be specific
go do an activity that brings you joy. draw, eat, laugh, talk with a friend!
write down one goal you have accomplished in the past month.
Click here for some other ideas for self care.
Resources
How to Forgive
Watch this animated video on what it means to forgive and how to do it.
Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/d-K5btaxEFY
Content belongs to: The School of Life
Forgiving Yourself Meditation
A big part of self forgiveness is mindfulness. Being mindful will help you step out of the past and be in the present. Do this 5 minute meditation centered around forgiveness to start your process.
Direct link to video: https://youtu.be/m4nUAIZt7fA
Content belongs to: MyLife