The ObservatoryForgiving yourself
Stop carrying the punishment indefinitely, without glossing over what happened.
How it works
- Name what you carryWrite
- Separate responsibility from shameWriteList
- Make amends where you canChooseWrite
- Put the punishment downWriteBreathe
There is something you regret. Maybe something you did, maybe something you left undone. You don't have to defend it or play it down, just put it into words, honestly, as it actually was. It's harder to forgive something …
Exercise in 4 steps, about 11 minutes. Doing it is part of Premium, which you try free for 7 days with no card. With Premium your answers are saved so you can pick up where you left off and look back at what you wrote.
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Why does it work?
Self-forgiveness, taking responsibility while letting go of chronic self-punishment, is linked to better emotion regulation and lower depression and anxiety. It differs from glossing over, which doesn't give the same effect. Wohl, DeShea & Wahkinney (2010); Neff (2003).
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