This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Caroline Heiderscheit. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Wisconsin. She specializes in addictions, mental health problems, and trauma recovery. She has worked as a counselor in both community health settings and private practice. She also works as a writer and researcher, with education, experience, and compassion for people informing her research and writing subjects. She received Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. She also earned an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University.
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Regret: it can make us feel helpless, ashamed, or at a loss for how to proceed. But, in truth, most of us make major mistakes in our lifetime—so how can we find a way to finally move on? Here's the good news: there are so many little-known, science-backed techniques that can help you effectively move past feelings of guilt and regret. That way, you can get back to living the life you deserve. To discover expert tips that'll change the way you live your life, read on.
Things You Should Know
- Let yourself feel regret without ruminating or wallowing in it. That way, you can process the feeling and start moving on.
- It also helps to look for a silver lining, or something good that came from the situation, so you have something positive to associate with it.
- Treat yourself with compassion, just like you would a close friend, so that you can forgive yourself and move forward.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/emotional-intelligence-toolkit.htm
- ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26791595/
- ↑ https://hbr.org/podcast/2022/03/regrets-are-inevitable-start-learning-from-them
- ↑ https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-acceptance-can-help-you-cope-with-things-out-of-your-control
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/health/what-is-guilt
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/stop-beating-yourself-up-8-tips-to-overcoming-remorse#3
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/stop-beating-yourself-up-8-tips-to-overcoming-remorse#4
- ↑ https://psychcentral.com/blog/stop-beating-yourself-up-8-tips-to-overcoming-remorse#4
- ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_should_you_go_to_therapy
About This Article
Reader Success Stories
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"This helped me lot... At the age of 16 I understood that regrets are the lessons which help us to grow in the future. I felt depression overthinking my mistakes... It really helped me to forgive myself and now I am feeling happy that if I hadn't done that mistake I wouldn't have read this article, which would make me a perfect person in the future."..." more