How To Get Rid Of Guilt That’s Bothering You So Much?
Guilt and regret could submerge inside your mind and heart, creating cloudiness and confusion for future decisions. Relax, give yourself some time, and let the guilt move away from you with the methods mentioned in the article.
Last Update on August 25, 2021 : Published on April 24, 2020
‘Guilt’ word itself sounds so heavy that we can imagine the feeling of a person who is sitting beneath its shadow. This guilt could appear in our lives due to any reasons like heartbreak, not living up to expectations of someone, or anything that makes you feel that you are not a good person. Guilt could even lead to long term depression, rigorous crying, and anxiety.
In fact, some people feel that they will never live like the way before because of the mistake that cannot be changed. Well, you need to know how to get rid of guilt which is keeping your head so busy and taking you away from the joys of life.
Stop making the clouds of ifs and buts and try to remove all the negativities by reading how to stop feeling guilty and scroll down below.
10 Best Ways To Deal With Guilt And Regret
1. Find The Underlying Reasons
This step is necessary to clear your mind. Even if you think you know the answer, try to give yourself another chance and find the answers to questions like:
- Why are you guilty?
- What was the mistake you committed?
- Was it deliberate?
- Does it matter so much to you?
- How much is it going to impact you and others?
If you answer these questions, you are probably standing at a better position to overcome feelings of guilt. Some people do not want to revisit the past thinking of the pain it may cause but believe us, it may be painful for some time but better than the pain of a lifetime.
Many of you may even think that it is not worth being guilty anymore at this step only. Some realize that nothing else could have been done whereas some may feel they could have done a little more. Whatever be it, make sure you stick to your words as it helps in dealing with things easily.
Read More: Self-forgiveness High time to Heal from Shame
2. Acceptance
Firstly, even if you are at fault then stop blaming yourself. Accept that you cannot change what has already happened.
Tell yourself “I accept that…”
Do not deny or lie to yourself. Be honest and open as you will only then be able to move ahead in life, if not correct them. This acceptance would make you realize that committing one mistake would not make you a bad person and a sense of relief coming soon. This is one way How To Get Rid Of Guilt and regret.
3. Control If You Can Change. If You Can’t, Open New Possibilities
If you have found out various answers from the steps above and realize that you can control the situation even now, do it. Instead of sitting alone and feeling guilty about it, make situations better for all.
You are looking for ways to get rid of guilt but think if you never landed on this place, what would you be doing now? What are some other possibilities or actions that you wanted to do? Asking yourself such questions would help you reframe your mindset and you may stop feeling guilty about things that are bothering you.
4. Write Or Talk To Free Yourself From Thoughts
When boggled with a lot of thoughts, you need to vent them out. Think of someone who you can really trust and talk to them. Tell them to not be judgmental and just give their ears. If you have no one, talk to us by dropping a message in the comments section or message us on Facebook. You will be connected to an expert for help.
Moreover, if telling someone is not your call, pen down your thoughts somewhere. Tell your journal everything once and forget the reason for your guilt. This will literally help you to feel light and get rid of guilt. Once you’re done, sit back, breathe and relax and think about what has to be done next to make life meaningful. Let all the negative energy released from the body and absorb the newness.
5. Learn From The Experience
Experience teaches us the best lessons and gaining experience from them is the essence of it.
Ask yourself:
- What did you learn?
- Was it worth it to get into the guilty feeling?
- What will I do if such a thing ever happens again?
Make sure that you are emerging out as a strong person who is not going to look back or completely eliminate the thoughts that are bugging your head. Understand that your next actions should neither hurt you nor anyone else. Look beyond what you are into and the world is widely waiting with open arms. Stop feeling guilty after learning from the experience.
6. Positive Affirmations
If you explore the power of positive affirmations, you will find that they are a strong way to change the mindset of a human being. Guilt is strong enough to bog you down but waking up everyday by telling yourself ‘Let’s just drop the past back and make this day better’ is a start. Keep the same thought in your mind, especially when guilt hunts you down.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Mindful meditation or mindfulness in your everyday life is a strong tool to focus on the present moment and connect mind-body together. When you are aware of the fact what guilt is doing to you, you would put in efforts to cut down the negativity.
8. Distract Yourself
In order to get rid of guilty feelings and feelings that hinder you from moving forward, do something that keeps you either busy or distracted. For example, keep a stock of new books, a playlist ready on the phone or exercise everyday. The best way to quickly distract is go out for a walk or run in the natural environment.
9. Stop Beating Yourself About It
Honestly, I have been through a guilty phase for a long time and I did beat myself up. Loaded with thoughts, I used to cry and ask people for help. None worked, because it was all inside my head. But later I understood that beating myself up was never a good idea. So, make sure that you relax and give it some time to pass.
10. Talk To A Counselor
Disclaimer: As BetterHelp Affiliate, We may receive compensation from BetterHelp or other sources if you purchase products or services through the links provided on this page.
In some cases, it is tough to get out of guilt feelings all alone. If so, there is no harm in asking for help from a trained counselor. Willing to connect to a counselor? Drop us a message at info@calmsage.com and we will help you connect with a professional counselor.
Tips To Not To Feel Guilty Again
- Apologize even if you know that things will never be the same again. Apologies keep your mind calm and give a chance for other people to understand you.
- Don’t over plan things. If you plan things in advance and can’t get them done, you feel guilty.
- Don’t procrastinate for too long as it ends up in loads of guilt and self-blame.
- Don’t make anyone else guilty as well. It will end up with you feeling sad about the same later.
- If you are guilty of something, do not take decisions that can turn your world upside down. Better give yourself some time and space for things to get back to normal.
Love Yourself!
And you will be able to get rid of guilt slowly. Ups and downs are part of life and guilt is one such down that can show you negative sides. Take it as a challenge and run over it. If you need help from an expert, write to us and we will surely help you with how to stop feeling guilty.
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About The Author
Akanksha Soni
Akanksha is an active lifestyle blogger and writer at Calmsage. She has learnt various lessons on happiness and methods to fight depression through 'Gurus' as well as own experiences. An ardent practitioner of Yoga and meditation, she keeps traveling, writes and interacts with people to feel alive.
Hello, during this covid-19 pandemic. I was tested positive for corona virus from one week and a half now. I was isolated in a hotel until my negative result was out twice. Ive done PCR test and it was negative. The same day i went back home and i went out for jogging because i needed fresh air. I didn’t think twice i was just anxious and needed to run. When i went back home i started to think what if someone got infected by me? I looked out for some information and i found out that the negative result does not mean im corona free! And I should self isolate for 14 days since the first positive test. I cant forgive myself for going out in public. People seemed so chilled and happy and i was walking around with a virus. I cant stop thinking about what if i infected someone and there health got worse because of me or even died. My ocd is back and my anxiety is developing. Im going through depression and this guilt feeling is eating me alive. I will never know if I actually infected someone or no