Are you still grappling with emotional wounding, profound regret or remorse, or mistakes made in the past? Letting go of something is perhaps one of the most enduringly common challenges. However, for one to embrace a hopeful future, it is crucial that one relinquishes clinging to pain. As a famous quote goes, ‘Forgiveness is not about letting the other person off the hook. It’s about freeing yourself’. How to let go of the past, encourage one’s tranquility, reclaim one’s peace, and restore long lost clarity of mind.
In this article, we will provide you with eight ways that will help you how to let go of hurt. These practical methods will enable you to heal from emotional pain and hurt so that you engage with the present with utmost focus. Be it past relationships, personal loss, or mistakes made, this guide intends to give you the means to heal from the past and move on from it.
Why Is It So Difficult to Move On from the Past?
Before we look into how to move on from the past, understanding why the past is difficult to let go of is fundamental.
The Brain’s Negativity Bias
Research in neuroscience proves that the brain places a greater emphasis on negative memories as opposed to positive recollections. Emotions Inflicting Pain reveals that emotional pain activates the same pathways in the brain associated with physical pain due to previous hurt experienced making it feel fresh even many years later.
Anxiety and Uncertainty
Regardless of how painful it may be, the past is always easier to settle to. Halting the endured hurt means you have to step into the unknown, which creates anxiety. your brain resists depending on change, even when that change is healing.
Pain and Self-Worth
Self-worth is something we sometimes choose to attach to suffering, without realizing it. This pain made me who I am” is an example of mentally associative statements that, when typed, help form the outdated reality we cling to.
Replaying Events in Search of The Elusive Closure
Perpetual anger, guilt, or contempt leaves the past alive, looking for moments which aids lending aid in moving on. The mind continuously replays the events in search of answers that may never come.
Now, let’s talk about how to get over something that hurt you, for good.
8 Powerful Ways to Know How to Let Go of the Past
Do you want to know about exciting ways to let the pain go? Let’s talk about them one by one:
Pain Acknowledgment and Acceptance
The first step toward healing is to letting go of hurt. Healing takes time, and nothing can speed up the process more than the absence of denial. Being sad, angry, or frustrated due to your experiences is acceptable. Accepting your emotions means that you have indeed been hurt, but also that you have the power and control over how and when you heal.
Actionable Tip:
Journaling about your pain is a safe way to confront issues you find troubling. Writing down one’s emotions is a private way to express oneself. It helps in acknowledgment, which is essential for healing. Taking steps in the right direction can make a world of difference, including moving on from the past.
Learn From the Experience
After accepting the painful reality, the next step is to reflect on everything the experience has taught you. Perceived lessons must not be neglected and taken into consideration. Rephrasing the question from ‘Why me?’ to ‘What can I learn from this’ allows you to break free from the mental imprisonment that the painful experiences hold.
Actionabale Tip:
Creating a list of valuable lessons learned from the experience can be very helpful. There is a huge difference between dealing with negative memories and memories that can induce growth. Hence, it makes them easier to confront.
Practice Forgiveness (Towards Yourself and Others)
Forgiveness is also one of the most empowering ways to break free of the weight of your past. But please remember that forgiveness is not about saying someone else’s hurtful actions are excusable. Instead, it is about freeing yourself from the emotional weight of resentment and anger. When you truly forgive, you take away the power that past hurts have on you here and now. This practice is very helpful in learning how to let go of the past.
Actionable Tip:
Start by forgiving yourself. Often, we are harder on ourselves than anyone else. So, be compassionate to yourself and give yourself the grace to heal. Then, if you choose to, consider forgiving others. Do it not for them, for your own peace of mind.
Healing from Painful Experiences through Mindfulness
Mindfulness helps you stay centered in the present moment. When you spend time living in the past, it is difficult to take in life as it unfolds. Mindfulness teaches you to release past pain and live in the current moment. Mindfulness teaches you to separate your thoughts from your emotions, helping you avoid getting stuck in the old story.
Actionable Tip:
Make it a goal to practice mindfulness meditation every day, focusing on your breath. Guide your mind back to the present moment whenever you become aware of your mind traveling back in time. In the long run, you should find being in the present moment and releasing hurt a more effortless process.
Reframe Your Perspective
Reframing means the act of changing one’s point of view in order to reflect on the same situation, but in a different, more positive way. Reframing can also mean not allowing whatever is hurting from the past to define you going forward. Consider how you have grown while letting the past hurt go, and allow your mind to view this change as the beginning of another journey, instead of clinging to the past.
Actionable Tip:
Each time you think about a past experience, challenge yourself to see it from a different perspective. Ask yourself: “What did I gain in terms of strengths?” or “How have I developed because of it?”
Allow the Pain to Exit Through Physical Release
Sometimes, emotional release requires a physical release. When we experience pain or hurt, we sometimes hold onto that pain and also retain some of that hurt in our bodies. It includes tight muscles, anxiety or tension, a racing heart, etc. Releasing physical tension through fitness, yoga, or walking can help release some of the emotional weight.
Actionable Tip:
Any physical activity that makes you feel good, like yoga, running, dancing, or even long walks, can help release emotional tension. Doing these activities makes it easier to let go of past hurt and move forward.
Strategic Surroundings
The company you keep can have a major impact on your healing process. Negative influences, such as those who remind you of past hurts or encourage think about and not move forward, can destroy the process of letting the past go. Likewise, positive role models and supportive people who will support your healing are imperative for personal healing and moving forward.
Actionable Tip:
Be around people who support and inspire you. Find groups or people who are focused on growth, mental health, and healing. The positive energy from others can serve as another reminder to letting go of the pain.
Ask for Professional Help—If Necessary
The past can sometimes be so heavy that we cannot move on alone. There is nothing wrong with seeking help. A therapist or counselor helps us to find a safe place to process our unresolved emotions. Professionals can give us processes and tools to work through deep pains and let go of old wounds.
Actionable Tip:
If you need support in letting go of the past, seek professional help. Therapy is an investment in your mental health that will help you move on and heal from the pain of deep hurt from the past.
After implementing these techniques and tips, you’ll be a master of how to let go of the past.
Moving On From The Past: How To Heal
Letting go of your hold on the past is not an easy,” overnight” task to complete, especially not a process that can be forcefully done. Although taking specific measures to let go of the past through compassion towards oneself and the use of healing methodologies helps in freeing one from emotional shackles. One takes baby steps first by accepting the hurt, then reflecting on the aftermath of the hurt while ultimately forgiving one’s and others.
Doing the above-mentioned provides further access to emotional space, which can be leveraged towards joy, growth, and new experiences. An important point to note is to appreciate the fact that life is happening right now. Learning to place some acceptance towards the past allows one to fully immerse oneself in savoring the present.
Conclusion
Adapting to the past can be a transformative experience for our self-identity. It certainly requires compassion and patience. Release the emotional pain by forgiving oneself for mistakes, evaluating the lessons learned, and, most importantly, accepting the hurt. Make use of techniques like mindfulness, motivating people, and indulging in physical activities to free oneself from mental shackles of the past. Mindfulness can greatly help in focusing on the present. You should never forget that Dr. Martin Luther King Junior said that “forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude”. For this reason, learning how to let go of the past hurts should not be thought of in a negative way.
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