7. Release Suppressed Emotions

Forgive people. Forgiveness is for the forgiver not the forgivee. Sometimes the person who has wronged you may not give a damn or may not even know that they have impacted you. If you hold anger or resentment towards a situation, an individual or organisation, you are giving them power over you and at worst case making you ill, or preventing your recovery. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take action to ensure justice or to prevent recurrence, just don’t let it control you. You don’t need to tell someone that has wronged you that you forgive them.

Sometimes forgiveness is not easy to give. You may need to express how you’re feeling to the transgressor. Once again this doesn’t necessarily need directly with the individual, however you need to get it out, either verbally or by writing it down. I understand that sometimes expressing yourself in writing, reading it out then destroying it gives a great sense of relief. Telling someone in person can be hard, especially if you’re expecting them to respond with an acknowledgement of the hurt they may have caused or an apology, and it isn’t forthcoming.

If you’ve had trauma in your life then you may need some help from a support group or from professional counselling.

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