Forgiveness is a word with so many definitions. Forgiveness is looked at differently by the science of psychology than from a spiritual/religious perspective. One thing that all sides agree on is that forgiveness benefits all parties involved in any situation, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Forgiveness takes effort, and you may not always be successful in forgiving or being forgiven.
How Does Forgiveness Work?
- Forgiveness is a process, and it takes time
- Forgiveness is a choice
- To decide to forgive, you must emotionally be ready to forgive
- Without emotional forgiveness, you cannot truly forgive, and instead, you are silently holding on to anger, resentment, and hurt
Why Is Forgiveness a Process?
- You can decide to forgive but remain emotionally hurt and not ready to process forgiveness
- The more you feel injustice, the more difficult forgiving is
- When you decide to forgive with conditions, it is not true forgiveness; until you remove those conditions, this can take time
- Forgiveness is change, and change is hard, and sometimes it is a slow process
- You can approach and perceive forgiveness differently and in your own time-frame
How Does Forgiveness Benefit You?
- Forgiveness helps to release anger in recovery; holding your anger hurts you physically and emotionally
- Forgiveness is linked to good emotions, and the empathy you feel helps pass those emotions onto others
- Unforgiveness is linked to negative emotions; being unforgiving holds onto things like hostility and holding a grudge
- Forgiveness is good for your heart health
- Forgiving causes you to reduce feelings of depression
- Forgiving can make you feel that life is positive
- Forgiving contributes to higher self-esteem
- Forgiving reduces feelings of anxiety and stress
Are There Trauma-Related Benefits to Forgiving?
- There is no firm research that there are absolute benefits to forgiveness in the case of trauma
- Forgiveness should not be required if you have trauma for many reasons
- When forgiveness needs to happen in trauma recovery, it can happen naturally and will cause you to feel relief
- Forgiveness can benefit trauma recovery, but it also can contribute to more trauma; forgiveness should be left up to you
Forgiveness is our gift to the world. Forgiving will improve your physical and emotional health, your inner peace, and your outer peace, and you will improve how you interact with the world. At The Guest House, we believe forgiveness allows you to move on from the past. With us, you will learn how to forgive yourself and others, which will help you heal emotionally. If you or a loved one needs help processing feelings about forgiving, call today at (855) 483-7800.