How to stop living in the past

Forgetting the past: the keys to moving forward

Being fully present, anticipating yourself in the future… For some, it’s complicated that they struggle to stop thinking about the past, whether to remember happy moments or delve into painful episodes, unhealed wounds. the problem? The inability to live today, free from the past, prevents them from developing their potential and moving forward in life. to analyze.

Flashbacks, regret, and sadness often interfere deeply with our personal or professional relationships and not always for the better. So much so that they turn into real burdens. It paralyzes us, prevents us from enjoying our successes, and keeps us trapped in our failures or moments of glory. To get rid of these harmful links, it is important, even necessary, to learn to forget the past.

They are called “dark thoughts”, “obsessions” or even “ruminations”. It often occurs after emotional trauma. They haunt the mind for days or months. How do we explain the deviation of these fixed ideas in our daily lives? How do you cope?

Do you want to forget the past? Do you tend to dwell a lot?

It is sometimes possible to live in the past to the point of forgetting its present and neglecting its future.. How do we get out of this spiral and finally forget the past? Or better yet, welcome it and move on with it?

You have definitely had one or more sad and painful episodes in the past. I have managed to beat some of them, but it is more difficult for others.

If sometimes learning to manage your emotions can be enough to create a peaceful bond to the past, sometimes in-depth work is necessary to be at peace. with his past.

Why is it important to forget the past?

Furthermore, many psychologists agree that doing a simple retrospective of your past life can sometimes save your life. The past is really important to know your mistakes and your successes in order to better understand the present.

Moreover, only by analyzing your good moves, but also the less good ones, the important events and those that fill you with joy, but sometimes also a lot of sadness will you be able to turn the page and write a new one. However, we must not forget that the past can hold you back and prevent you from moving forward. What’s more, ruminating constantly can be devastating to your mental health. Not only does it put you in a bad mood and it builds up an unnecessary amount of stress. But, it can even lead you to real depression. Finally, living in the past can be like forgetting the present moment.

In this sense, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said: “There is no happiness, no calm, no hope, no pride, nor the enjoyment of the present moment without the ability to forget.” In fact, the memory of the past can be so heavy that it destroys the moment that needs to be lived. Now, the present is the only moment that truly belongs to you. It never happened before, it’s here and now everything happens and opportunities develop. Thus, by knowing how to take advantage of the present moment and learn to forget the past, you will be able to see all these beautiful possibilities awaiting you

Go ahead:

Make peace with the past

You must understand that in order to look straight ahead, you must first agree to make peace with your past. A step is not always obvious of course, but it is necessary. To be able to pass this course, you must agree to confront your feelings and memories. In fact, you won’t be able to erase it by refusing to feel some negative emotions. As the saying goes, by hitting rock bottom, you can bounce back. And believe it or not, this rule also applies to feelings

Living physically in the present

Living in the present moment is feeling physically included in it. Exercising, walking, relaxation exercises, controlling your breathing, awakening your senses… all these activities allow you to recover your body and fully realize your being in the here and now.

To make or to invent

Artistic creativity makes it possible to record in time. The thing we draw or sculpt has a sign of progress that we can point to to be aware of its development. Creation is also an effective way to restore self-confidence: it makes us discover that we can produce something new.

Learn how to take full advantage of the here and now

When memories knock on the doors of your consciousness, you must welcome them. But, then you have to let them go in order to go back to the present moment. To achieve this, you can practice mindfulness meditation. This meditation technique involves focusing on the back and forth motion of the breath. This is to release tension in the body and empty your mind

List your fears

It is impossible to foresee all the risks one is exposed to when making plans and protecting against them. But listing your fears, even the most futile ones, allows you to get a clearer, less disturbing view of the future. We no longer consider him under the influence of emotion but under the influence of reason.

break free from the past

Nostalgia is based on the natural tendency to idealize the past. The place, the atmosphere and the sensations associated with the memory are amplified. Revisiting the places that haunt us can free us from the perfect image we have kept of them. In some cases, it will also be a chance to settle accounts with other items from the past and start over on a sound footing

forgive yourself

Sometimes the most complicated step when you decide to let go of a traumatic past is finding the courage to forgive yourself. Forgiving yourself for your mistakes, forgiving yourself for not being able to do a better job, etc. However, when you live with these feelings of guilt, you will consume a flood of negativity buried deep within you. This will then cause a throbbing and uncomfortable feeling of penetration. So learning to forgive yourself is an important act of moving forward and freeing yourself from the shackles of the past.

Finally, remember that every moment in your life is like a blank page, and it is up to you to decide what to write! So, are you finally ready to let go of the past?