Many of us spend so much time looking back at our past that it’s hard to move forward. The past is what made you who you are, but if you’re not careful, it will define how you see yourself and your future. It’s important to realize that the past is just that: in the past. And while there are things that can be learned from our experiences and mistakes, dwelling on them will only hold us back from living a fuller life today.
Focus on the present.
To be mentally healthy, you need to focus on the present. The past is over, and there’s nothing you can do about it. But the future is still unwritten and full of possibilities. Focus on what you have now, not what your life used to be like or could have been like if things had gone differently.
If something good happens in your life–a new friend or job offer–celebrate! If something bad happens–a breakup with someone who was toxic for your self-esteem–look forward instead of back at all the time lost with that person who didn’t care about how much they hurt you when they broke up with you because they wanted someone else instead (or whatever). Whatever happens in life is just part of our journey through time here on Earth; don’t let any one event define who YOU are as an individual because ultimately no matter how big its impact may seem now…it won’t last forever.”
Remembering this can help us focus more clearly on what matters most: ourselves!
Give yourself permission to move forward.
When you’re feeling stuck, it can be hard not to feel guilty about all the things you haven’t done yet, or all of the things that are still on your plate. But if you don’t give yourself a break and take care of yourself, then you won’t be able to do those things—and that’s just as bad! So today, give yourself permission to move forward. You’re going to make mistakes along the way. That’s okay! Just keep going and learning from them.
Learn to forgive yourself and others.
If you’re having trouble forgiving yourself or others, it might be helpful to remember that people are human. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has flaws–even you! So when your friend forgets your birthday, don’t hold it against them forever; they probably forgot because they were busy with work or family. When someone hurts your feelings by saying something mean about you behind your back, remind yourself that person doesn’t know everything about who you are and what makes up who they are too–and chances are good that if given another chance, he/she would apologize for his/her words (or at least try).
You don’t have any control over what other people do; all we can do is our best in each situation as it comes along–and sometimes even then things won’t turn out exactly as planned. If something bad happens because of these circumstances (like getting fired), remember not only how much effort went into doing well at work but also how much effort went into learning new skills so that next time could be different!
Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Don’t beat yourself up for mistakes you have made, even if they were bad mistakes. Be kind to others, including yourself and your body. It’s easy to criticize the way someone looks or acts when they’re not around, but try not to do it; everyone is beautiful in their own way! The same goes for your mind: don’t let negative thoughts take over and consume your life–they will only make things worse!
Take care of your body, mind and spirit.
- Exercise regularly. It’s proven to help reduce stress, improve sleep quality and boost your mood. Consider joining a gym or taking up yoga if you aren’t already doing so–and try not to skip workouts!
- Meditate daily (or as often as possible). Meditation helps us develop greater self-awareness by focusing on our breath while sitting still in silence or repeating a mantra silently in our heads (it can also be done while walking). This practice allows us to take note of our thoughts without judging them; once we’ve done this enough times, we’re able to recognize patterns that lead us toward unhealthy behaviors so we can change them before they get out of hand–like eating too much dessert after dinner because it makes me feel good about myself for about ten minutes before guilt sets in and sends me straight back into my kitchen for another slice.
- Eat well! Your body needs certain nutrients from food in order for it work properly; if you don’t take care of yourself by eating well balanced meals every day then eventually all sorts of things will start going wrong: digestion problems may arise due to lack of fiber intake (which leads directly into constipation), brain fog might set in due to not getting enough vitamins found only within animal products such as meat/eggs/dairy etcetera, and so forth.
- Listen closely when something isn’t feeling right inside–it could mean something bigger than just being hungry!
Keep moving forward even if it’s one step at a time.
Don’t let the past hold you back. Don’t be afraid to try new things and start small, then work your way up as you get more comfortable with it overtime if necessary.
If something doesn’t work out the first time around, don’t feel bad about it! It’s okay that we don’t always get things right on our first try–that’s part of learning how things work in this world and making mistakes along the way is an important part of growing up! And no matter what happens or how many times we mess up along our journey through life (and trust me: there will be lots), there will always be someone who thinks less highly of us than they should because they’re focusing on all these irrelevant details instead of seeing who we really are as people underneath all those layers…
See a therapist
Therapists can help you to let go of the past, process your feelings and emotions, set goals for yourself and find ways to cope with stress. If you’re interested in seeing a therapist but don’t know where to start or what questions to ask, we’ve got some tips for getting started:
- Ask friends who have gone through therapy if they would recommend their therapist. They might even be able to give you some tips on how their sessions went!
- Sign up for an introductory session with a few different therapists so that once it comes time for an appointment with one of them (usually after two weeks), you’ll already know what kind of person they are based on how they conducted themselves during this initial meeting.
- Be prepared that you will get asked something personal. This way there won’t be any surprises later down the line when they start asking personal questions like “How many times did your father hit his wife before he moved out?”–and trust us when we say that no matter how much therapy has helped others, some questions will always make us uncomfortable no matter how experienced our practitioner may be at helping people deal with difficult situations like these ones.”
- Ask your therapist what approach they’re using. One of the most common types of therapy for trauma and anxiety is EMDR therapy. According to an expert on EMDR therapy in Sydney, this type of therapy is often considered a form of trauma-focused therapy, allowing the individual to gain a new perspective on the event and reduce its psychological impact.
Conclusion
We don’t want you to feel like you’re alone in your struggle with the past. We know that it can be hard to let go and move forward, but we also know that there are ways to make it easier on yourself. The key is finding what works best for each individual person – whether that means going through therapy or simply talking things out with friends or family members who understand what it feels like when they’ve been hurt by others before themselves. Whatever method works best for each person will help them get past their pain while also making sure they don’t hold onto things too tightly so they don’t repeat history!