It’s estimated that more than one-third of Americans watched Sunday’s Super Bowl. And if you did, it’s possible you saw one of the most questionable play calls to ever end a game, likely costing the Seattle Seahawks a championship.
Sports analysts are talking about how the coach who called the play will regret his decision for the rest of his life. And whether or not you care about football, I’m sure you know something about regret.
Living with Regrets Affects Your Health
At some point in your life—just like everybody else—you’ve done something that you probably regret. You’re not perfect. Nobody is. Everybody makes mistakes. But acknowledging your mistakes and moving forward so you don’t live with regret is an important step for improving your happiness and quality of life.
In fact, some research I recently came across has shown that people living with severe life regret experience more cold symptoms (like congestion, cough, and sneezing), fever, and headache, along with an increase in depressive symptoms, like trouble sleeping and concentrating.
Get Over Your Regrets
Getting over regret can make you happier and healthier, so it’s highly recommended that you acknowledge the things you regret. If it has to with a relationship or something that has happened in the past, talk to those involved or a close friend about it. It might be hard at the time, but the benefits of clearing the air, or at least getting your feelings out, can be very liberating. In fact, telling the truth can also be good for your health, alleviating some of the symptoms that come along with regret. So no matter what you’re dwelling on, take action in order to put it behind you.
Realizing that you can’t change the past, but that you can improve the future is also important. Learning from your mistakes helps you make better decisions in the future, so look for the value in previous missteps.
Forgive Yourself
You’re not perfect and life is a constant learning experience, so stop beating yourself up over things that have happened. Do your best to rectify and acknowledge these things, but then concentrate on moving forward.
Source for Today’s Article:
Kelly, A., “Study: Telling the Truth May Actually Improve Your Health,” Psychology Today web site, August 9, 2014; https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight/201408/study-telling-the-truth-may-actually-improve-your-health, last accessed February 4, 2015.
Concordia University, “Inability to shake regrets can have effects on physical health,” ScienceDaily web site, March 1, 2011; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301111503.htm, last accessed February 2, 2015.