How to Get Over Regrets and Move Forward

When we feel disappointment and sorrow over what might have been or we wish we could change a choice we made in the past, we have regrets.

For example, maybe you worked too much while your children grew up. Consequently, they are not close to you, and you are filled with regret about it. You feel stuck because your kids and your grandchildren aren’t in touch. You blame your past actions.

Letting go of regret is important for your mental, emotional and physical health. Learn more about how regrets are harmful, the positive side of regrets, what our most intense regrets are, how to stop thinking about regrets, and ways to get over regrets and move forward.

How Regrets Are Harmful

Regrets can be harmful when we don’t want to accept them. For example, maybe you didn’t defend your friend who was accused of saying something derogatory. You didn’t speak up at the time to clear their name.

You push down those feelings of guilt and embarrassment because they are unpleasant. You end up feeling disappointed in yourself and don’t want to be reminded of the incident.

Or you remember the situation all too well, but don’t know how to overcome your regret. Imaging studies reveal that when we feel regret increased activity takes place in an area of the brain called the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Regret can have adverse effects on your mind.

Various psychological problems result from regret. Repetitive negative thought patterns and constant rumination can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. This kind of mental and emotional pain also affects our bodies.

A recent studyshows another negative effect self-blame has on our bodies. Scientists found that inducing self-blame leads to increases in shame and guilt as well as increases in pro-inflammatory cytokine activity. According to Cleveland Clinic, inflammation is a symptom of many diseases like arthritis, cancer, and heart disease.

The Positive Side of Regrets

When we reflect on regrettable choices we made in the past, that’s a good thing. We grow from reflection and can learn from our missteps. Inspired to be better, we improve on our decision-making so we don’t repeat our mistakes.

Another positive aspect of regret is it can move you closer to being your best self. A study about people’s most enduring regrets was published in the journal Emotion where scientists looked at the connection between regret and an individual’s self-concept.

What Are Our Most Intense Regrets?

In the first study to analyze key predictors in a single model, scientists looked at factors that affect the intensity of regret over a lifetime.

They found that people had a greater frequency of regrets about the lack of action (inaction) they took in their lives.

Yet, when these individuals reviewed their life paths, the intensity of regrets about inaction did not cause greater grief. People felt more intense regret about the actions they did take.

In looking at these actions, scientists discovered that the intensity of regret was greatest in this order:

1. About decisions that broke participants’ own life rules
2. About decisions related to social life domains rather than non-social domains
3. About decisions that lacked justification
   

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How Can You Stop Thinking About Regrets?

It might seem like your brain is playing the regret song on repeat. You may compare yourself to friends and claim, “I’d be rich now if I went to a better college.” Or you play the what if game by saying, “If only I didn’t post that angry remark on Twitter, I wouldn’t have lost my job.”

Here are suggested ways to get out of your head and overcome that cycle of regret, self-blame, and shame:

• Turn off rumination
• Choose mindfulness
• Take deep breaths
• Meditate
• Exercise
• Start a new hobby

Ways to Move Forward When You’re Feeling Regretful

If you're feeling regret, here are some steps you can take to move forward:

Have Empathy for Yourself

Let’s say you dropped out of college to work so you could buy a car more quickly. Now you believe getting that college degree would’ve been a better choice. Maybe you've been feeling regretful over this decision and feel like you're not on par with your peers.

Show yourself the same grace and empathy that would provide a loved one if they were feeling regretful about a past action.

Remind yourself that people can only make decisions based on the information they have at the time. If you did the best you could with the knowledge you had, try not to beat yourself up about your decision.

Cultivate Self-Compassion

Researchers at UC Berkeley conducted a studyabout self-compassion and regrets. Those participants who viewed their regrets with self-compassion felt they learned from their mistakes. With a positive adjustment, they were more motivated to improve themselves than the other groups.

In the study, researchers invited adults to write about their biggest regrets with kindness and self-compassion. Other participants were instructed to journal about their regrets and focus on their positive qualities as they related to self-esteem. The control group wrote about a hobby they enjoyed participating in.

Forgive Yourself

You’re not letting yourself off the hook if you forgive yourself and let go of regret. Self-forgiveness involves separating your far-from-perfect actions from who you are as a person.

By forgiving yourself, you are recognizing that you are a worthy person and that we all err because we’re human.

Steps you can take to cultivate self-forgiveness:

• Acknowledge the poor decision
• Offer yourself compassion
• Grieve
• Learn the lesson
• Repair or make amends
• Release regret

Write About Your Regrets

You can try journaling or writing a letter to the person you hurt. You can also write a letter to yourself about your regrets. First, write in detail about the event and accept what happened. Then write about what you learned from it and what you can do differently in the future. Lastly, write about what could make this situation better now.

Seek Mental Health Counseling

If you’ve been obsessing about your regrets, this fixation can prevent you from healing. Consider counseling if you feel like you're unable to move forward. Mental health practitioners have a variety of therapies that might assist you.

A Word From Verywell

If you're feeling regret over something from your past, know you're not alone in feeling this way. Everyone has something (or many things) that they regret. However, there are ways to heal and move forward by showing yourself understanding. If that's too difficult, enlist the help of a mental health professional. A therapist can help you manage feelings of regret so they no longer hold you back.