JAKARTA - A part of being human is making mistakes. Processing guilt and learning from those mistakes can help you grow and develop into a better person.

But sometimes after learning from mistakes, forgiveness for yourself for mistakes that have been made in the past still feels difficult. This is the time to have the intention and overcome them. How to forgive yourself? Reporting from the Psych Center, Wednesday, May 22, here's an easy way to help you make peace.

Accepting guilt as an emotion

Feelings of guilt are one of the emotions felt by humans. According to Albert Nguyen, a clinical social worker from Palo Alto, California, guilt is as important as other human emotions.

Every emotion has a goal that tells you what you've done. So, let yourself feel it," he said.

Feelings of guilt actually help you empathize. At least you understand if the actions you take can have an impact on others. If you feel guilty, try to let that feeling flow without continuing to think about it. Feeling it can help you process and forget about it.

By definition, self-compassion refers to the process of treating yourself with the same attention you do to a loved one. This includes an act of self-realizing.

Taylor Kinman, a licensed professional counselor from Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, says pity for yourself is one of the most important things people can do to maintain mental health.

When covered with guilt, it's natural to assume the other parties involved are also fixated on what happened the same way. That may be true, but not always true. Reminding yourself that others may not be as affected as you might help reduce guilt.

Once aware of past mistakes, it can make a commitment to yourself not to repeat the same mistakes in the future. Commitment to getting better is a way to forgive yourself for not harming others.

Covered with the current guilt? Bathing or bathing may help. Research in 2011 showed that self-cleaning measures could temporarily reduce feelings of guilt or doubt.

Spending time alone can also help you think of the situation in a different way and get a perspective on how to take the next step.

Remember, forgiving yourself means not adding to your guilt.


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