Banish bad memories and learn to move on

Forgetting your lines during a presentation or falling in public, we’ve all had embarrassing moments we would rather never remember and hope no one else does.

However when it comes to more serious situations like a bad breakup or being conned, it can be very difficult to forget and let go. You may occasionally find yourself playing back those memories to the point of physical illness.

You can start sweating, experiencing headaches or even worse, stomach aches that can lead to ulcers and anxiety attacks.

Although you know better that you should be living a much happier life, that is easier said than done.

The more those flashbacks keep happening the faster you sink into trauma. While what happened to year when you were a child may sound silly, they can still result in negative emotions and discomfort as long as you continue to focus on those memories.

You keep feeling as if you are living in the past and the older you get it becomes intense. According to studies, our brains have the ability to store emotions we experience in our memory.

This is possible due to a brain structure called the amygdala that is in charge of regulating emotions and how memories are stored, negative or positive.

The only way to navigate past these thoughts is to learn from mistakes and recollecting painful memories. These recollections can actually help you move on. Letting go is not synonymous with giving up.

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It is a conscious decision to release something or someone that no longer serves one’s highest good. It is about recognising that holding onto the past can hinder your ability to embrace new opportunities and experiences.

This process can manifest in various forms such as ending a relationship, relinquishing material possessions or abandoning certain beliefs.

It is essential to differentiate between letting go and abandonment. Letting go is a deliberate choice made with care and consideration, while abandonment often stems from fear or avoidance. When we let go with intention, we create space for something new to emerge. That is what you should be aiming for.

Letting go is invariably accompanied by a range of emotions including sadness, anger, fear and confusion. It is essential to acknowledge these feelings without judgment. Suppressing emotions can prolong the letting-go process and hinder healing.

Allowing oneself to experience the full spectrum of emotions is a crucial step towards acceptance.

Grief, a common companion to loss, is a natural response to letting go. It is proof to the depth of our connection to what we are relinquishing.

However, it is important to remember that grief is a transitory state. While it is essential to honour one’s feelings, it is equally important to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of mourning.