Unresolved emotions cause a lingering sense of incompleteness.
Often, they lead to self-consuming behavioral patterns. Overthinking, overeating, oversleeping, digital-addiction, workaholism and social withdrawal are some of the results of pressing emotional issues.
These extreme behavioral tendencies are an expression of emotional imbalance, and you can heal yourself through forgiveness.
Let us first understand the psychology of emotional unease, and then we can understand why forgiveness is important for our emotional well-being.
What causes emotional unease? Holding on to grudges, preserving anger and reliving regrets are some of the patterns that cause emotional anxiety and suffering.
It is crucial to release this stored up energy and allow life-enhancing feelings of hope and optimism to flow through us.
According to evolutionary psychology, we remember pain more effectively than pleasure. Why? Because remembering factors that caused us pain in the past enables us to prevent or avoid the future eventuality of pain.
This is how evolutionary psychology understands it.
However, this mind habit of remembering pain so effectively also heightens our capacity to feel anger and pain repeatedly. This can lead us into a habitual treadmill of reliving the past stories of pain.
Therefore, it is very important to soothe ourselves and consciously release our pain. If we do not do so, we will end up having a pain-filled and distrustful view of the world.
Preserving a collage of emotions like that of anger, bitterness and remorse only reinforces our victimhood and helplessness.
How do we consciously release pain? Forgiveness is the key.
Forgiving oneself dissolves regrets. Forgiving others creates room for inner peace and freedom.
When we decide to forgive, we open ourselves to a rich and spacious reality.
Here are five reasons why forgiveness is necessary for our well-being:
1. Forgiveness is an act of self-love.
When we decide to forgive, we gift ourselves with freedom. The emotional space occupied by bitterness will finally be ventilated for more possibilities of love and joy.
2. Forgiveness is an act of courage.
To decide to let go means we have the courage to grow beyond a past event of pain. This ability to transcend pain and decide to move on is a mark of immense inner courage.
3. Forgiveness is an act of inner peace.
When we decide to forgive, we contribute to our inner peace. Forgiveness helps us to release the weight of grudges that previously sabotaged our peace of mind.
4. Forgiveness as an act of healing.
Letting go begins the process of healing. It's important to recognize what hurt us in the past, but then we must accept it and liberate ourselves from the emotional charge of that pain.
5. Forgiveness as an act of self-nourishment.
Forgiveness is healthy. It makes us breathe deeper, eat better and sleep more soundly.
Feelings have a physiology. When we experience anger, our body responds by tightening the muscles, shortening our breath and increasing our heart rate.
When we decide to forgive, we save ourselves from an entire chain of biochemical processes that heighten cortisol stress levels in our bodies.
Forgiveness helps us resolve emotions and create a sense of inner completion.
Our world can seem unreasonable and uncertain. People might not take ownership and responsibility for their actions.
What could insulate us in such a space? The answer lies in developing an attitude of tenderness and self-nourishment. With mindful self-awareness and self-management skills, you can nourish yourself toward a better well-being.
You are your biggest responsibility. You are your fundamental priority, too.
