It’s time we talk about one of the most important forms for forgiveness- self-forgiveness.
If you are carrying feelings of guilt and shame because of something that happened in the past, this one is especially for you.
Here are some things that have helped me in the past when practicing self-forgiveness.
1.Acknowledge the guilt.
The first thing to do is acknowledge that the guilt is present. Acknowledge that guilt is an emotion humans experience. Let yourself feel that emotion.
2. Practice Self-Compassion.
I try to implement self-compassion in my daily life through assessing and altering the way I think, change negative self-talk into positive self-talk, practice self-care and by practicing affirmations that encourage me to believe that i am doing the best I can and that I can learn from past mistakes and challenging situations.
3. Consider another view.
When I am battling internal guilt, I know I am my worst self critic. When I am in that mindset, I challenge myself to think about how I would talk to my best friend if they were experiencing internal guilt. This creates a space between you and your guilt and allows you to look at the situation from another perspective.4.
4. Ask for forgiveness
If you caused another person harm, apologize. Apologizing to another can ease the process of truly forgiving yourself. When i apologize to myself, I try to keep it short and simple. I admit what I did wrong, explain why I regret it, acknowledge any pain I have caused and state what I have learned from this experience.
Try these affirmations to help with self-forgiveness.
I forgive myself for my past decisions and actions.
I am letting go of my anger, shame, guilt and embarrassment.
I trust myself to have learned from this experience.