Heart to heart: 10 reasons why forgiving others is the best thing to do for you

It can be very hard to even contemplate the thought of forgiving someone for a wrong done to you, depending on your level of hurt.

In some situations, it may not be that you don’t want to forgive someone, but that you don’t know how to do so. This can be damaging to you anyway, no matter the reason you may have for not wanting to forgive.

Forgiveness is one of the most freeing things you can do for yourself. You are abandoning negative feelings of resentment and bitterness and overthinking and refusing to take responsibility for someone else’s terrible behaviour.

Studies have shown that apart from the mental benefits we get from forgiving people, there are also several physical benefits too. Forgiveness has been shown to cause reduced rates of heart disease, lower levels of anxiety and anger, and even increased immune health.

That’s not all though. We’ve listed ten benefits of forgiving others that should help you change your habit today.

1. Improves your self-respect

Holding on to a grudge can lower your self-esteem. It’s funny how we think that holding on to past hurt can help us keep our dignity when it is the other way around.

When you are quick to forgive people, you feel better about yourself. When you look in the mirror, you will love the person who is staring back at you.

2. Develop more compassion for people

Forgiving people helps you understand them better along with their side of the story. This gives you a wider view of how people act and helps you understand their intentions better.

This wider worldview will help you develop more compassion for people instead of the narrower worldview that you used to have.

3. You show a wonderful example

When you are quicker to forgive people, you show them how to treat you and others. No matter how hard we try, we are not infallible and will sometimes make mistakes.

We need to show others how to treat us when it’s our turn to make our mistakes. The examples we set for our family and friends when it comes to matters of forgiveness can also teach them how to treat their own associates when dealing with them

4. It has numerous health benefits

When you carry a grudge around in your heart for someone, your heart, you are reducing the level of your physical health. Letting go of the grudge will make you calmer, reduce the possible rate of heart disease, lower your levels of anxiety and anger, and even increase your immune health.

5. You live a happier life

Why would you want to walk around and have everything remind you of the person you are angry with? Your mood will constantly be depleted and you won’t be able to hold on to your happiness for a long time.

On the other hand, letting go of anger prevents you from dragging it around with you. It’s like a ball and chain that you drag around with you. Cut it off and give yourself from freedom; hold on to your happiness.

6. You will have peace of mind

Peace of mind comes from having things in your life that are working perfectly. Whenever you think of something or someone, there is no thud or pang in your chest over bitter feelings that you have about something else.

The quicker you forgive people for hurting you, the quicker you can get your peace of mind back.

7. You stop being the victim

When you discuss something that someone has done to you with a third party, you are usually the victim in the story. While that can be comforting, it is not a good position to be in.

You need to take back the power over your life and become the victor over any situation that you find yourself in. Sort out your emotions, forgive people, so you can move forward while you are still in control of your life and your situation.

8. Move on without any burden

You must either forgive someone who has hurt you and keep being friends with them or forgive them and go your separate ways.  There can be only one way to move forward.

When you do forgive someone, you let go of the pain and hurt that they have caused you and you can move forward with your life like a new person.

9. Form better relationships

Forgiving people can help you form better bonds with other people you meet in the future. When you choose to forgive people, you open yourself up to kinder relationships with people where the compassion and understanding from previous relationships will help you be a better person.

10. To dispel bitterness

When you choose not to forgive someone who has hurt you, you become bitter and your thoughts become one minded. You are only able to focus on your pain and that can turn you into a bitter person.

Let go of the hurt and learn how to forgive people so that you can preserve your feelings.

Those are all our tips for forgiving people who have hurt you. You don’t need to rush, take things one step at a time and gradually resolve your past hurt.