Learning from Your Regrets

Is there anybody in this world who has not regretted a decision they’ve made or a path they’ve taken? I doubt it. Yet, how people respond to their regrets varies considerably.  Some people easily shrug off their regrets; no problem!  Others review their regrets, seek to make amends, resolve to do better next time.  Still others are riddled with regret, ruminating over and over again about what they should have done differently. What do you do most often? As you may have guessed, the best way to deal with regrets is to acknowledge what you did wrong or didn’t do well, then learn from the experience. This is best done by treating yourself respectfully and kindly. If, in contrast, you disrespect yourself (what an idiot I am, how cowardly I was, how could I have done what I did), you will learn little as you will be too busy beating yourself up.   We all make mistakes. The best of us learn from them, becoming wiser, stronger and better in the process. Interested in following that route? Here are a few guidelines for you: 1. Reflect on what happened. Consider the circumstances surrounding your mistake. Were you feeling pressured to do what you did? Were you lacking in important information at the time? Were there stressors that impaired your judgment? Were you feeling vulnerable, without support or love? Were your actions emotionally driven, rather than well thought out? As you take the time to answer these questions, you’ll realize how complex seemingly simple de...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Self-Help regret Source Type: blogs