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This post is all about tips on how to stop thinking about the past and move forward with your life.
What does it mean to “live in the past”?
The definition of living in the past is, to think too much about something that happened in the past. Dwelling in the past, whether it’s thinking about what could have been or over thinking things that happened, can prevent you from living your happiest life now.
Let’s start taking control over our thoughts, with these tips on how to stop thinking about the past.
How to stop thinking about the past:
1. Forgiveness
Forgive yourself for your mistakes and the people who have wronged you.
There are actual health benefits to forgiveness.
2. Practise mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practise of being aware and observing your thoughts and feelings without judgement, in the present moment. Focusing only on what you are experiencing in the moment, and letting feelings and thoughts come and go.
You must be aware and accepting of what you are experiencing in the present moment without dwelling, judging or avoiding.
Start being more mindful by focusing on your breathing and incorporating meditation into your daily life.
3. Acceptance
You can’t go back and change the past but you can live now and choose how you want your life to be from here on out.
4. Interrupt your thought patterns
Worries and thoughts about the past can sneak in at anytime. When you start thinking or having obsessive thoughts about the past that you feel like you can’t get away from.
Recognize your thought patterns are unhelpful, and interrupt them.
Ways to interrupt thoughts about the past:
-listen to your favourite song
-watch a documentary or youtube video on something you are interested in
-learn something new
-read and/or recite positive affirmations.
Learn more about the benefits of positive affirmations. Check out 60 powerful positive affirmations to get you started.
5. Reflect/ Journal
Instead of worrying about the past, regretting, or feeling guilty…ask yourself helpful questions about the experience.
Examples of questions that can help you reflect in a positive way:
-what did I learn from this experience?–Learn from past mistakes and experiences.
-what was the lesson?
-what do I gain from thinking about this?
Even the worst situations can have some sort of positive lesson from it. Maybe it was so appreciate what you have in life, be more mindful, be kind etc. it doesn’t matter what, try to find any sort of positive lesson or take away.
If you are not gaining anything positive, by thinking about this past experience, it is time to learn how to cope with the emotions, and let them go.
6. Cope with emotions in a healthy way
It isn’t helpful to just ignore or pretend your emotions aren’t there. Gaining control over your thoughts and emotions means you need to feel them, process them in a helpful way and move forward.
Ways to cope with emotions from the past :
-journaling click here for some journal prompts for mental health
-talk to a trusted friend or family member, or counsellor
-you can write a letter about what is on your mind and then release yourself from it, by burning it or shredding it.
Humans are very visual and symbolic creatures, so visualizing and physically letting things go can be a real help.
7. Focus on creating a life that makes you happy.
Regardless of anyone else’s opinion. Your past might be defined by other people’s expectations of you, or maybe your life didn’t exactly “work out” as you thought it would.
Good news! None of that matters, we get one life here on this earth, so live it like you want to now, regardless of past circumstances, situations, opinions, failures, etc.
-Create a vision board or write a list of what you want your life to look like.
-Create an action plan…what steps can you actually take to make these things come true. Start from the smallest, very first step and work your way up.
-Focus on what really matters in life.
Slow down, be present in the moment, make small changes, accept what you cannot change and take steps to change what you can.
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Final Thoughts
Your life is what you choose to make it. There’s no reason to hold on to the past, because it is gone, focus on moving forward.
It is simply a waste of a life to dwell in the past, your future is bright and ahead of you!
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
Thank you Mark!