As we are all well aware, life is neither a bed of roses nor a bed of thorns, life is made up of a little bit of everything, joy, sorrow, proud moments, embarrassing moments as well as moments of utter confusion. No matter what misfortune comes your way you should always try your level best. If you become weak, then you will never be able to live life to the fullest. In the event of being ridden with guilt, you might be finding it tough to manage situations. So for your benefit, here is a list of tips which will help you in dealing with guilt.
Helpful Tips for Dealing with Guilt:
1. Accept responsibility for what has happened:
The first step involved in dealing with guilt is going ahead to actually accept responsibility for what has transpired. If you constantly try and make yourself feel better by not accepting responsibility for your actions or passing the buck on to someone else, then you will never be able to get rid yourself of this feeling of guilt as deep down in your heart of hearts you know that it was your fault all around. When a person accepts responsibility for what has happened then that is a mark of true character and courage. So never shy away from doing the right thing.
2. Vent your feelings by writing a story or poem about it:
A very useful technique which many people across the globe, use to deal with their guilt, is that they write a letter, essay or even a poem of sorts where they pour their hearts out on to the paper, this act actually serves as a catharsis which helps them to feel lighter without actually having to disclose to another individual what it is that they are guilty of doing. After all, not all of us are comfortable with sharing our deepest feelings, mistakes and even worries with the people around us, simply because we fear that we will be terribly judged and then ostracized.
3. Visit a therapist as soon as possible so as to get help:
Dealing with guilt is something that is easier said than done. As extreme as it may sound to anyone, guilt is something that has the ability to actually wreck havoc within the psyche of an individual. Once a person is thoroughly ridden with guilt then he or she might find it impossible to live with such feelings. Such a person might consider taking extreme steps like self harm or even suicide. So, if you find that you too are feeling absolutely bowed down by the emotion of guilt, then you ought to consult a skilled professional, like a counselor who can guide you.
4. Apologize to the person or the people you might have hurt:
Needless to say, that we feel most guilt when we have hurt a loved one, friend or an acquaintance. So if you are dealing with guilt feeling which is plaguing your mind, then what you can do, is to try and apologize to the people concerned. Even if the person might be too hurt, annoyed or even irritated to forgive you right away at least you know that you have done your part by actually doing the right thing. Even talking it out with the person concerned will really help you get closure so that you can move on.
5. Seek solace in religious scriptures:
In this technological, fast paced life, we all forget to spend some quiet time in communion with God. No matter who is your God, or what religious text you follow, if you are feeling bowed down with guilt, what you must do is spend some time praying so that God can guide you along your way and help you to be at peace with yourself. Until and unless you are at peace with yourself you will never be able to live life to the fullest or even experience any feelings of joy or happiness. So pray and believe in God and soon enough you will start feeling a lot more positive.
6. Go on a vacation as soon as possible:
Trying to remain a relevant part of today’s twenty-first century business world is a tough task indeed, as we are all trying to achieve success. Our jobs take up a lot of our time and effort anyway, yet if our mind is preoccupied with feelings of guilt, chances are that we will not be able to deliver top quality work. So to avoid this, what you ought to do is set out on vacation as soon as possible. When you are on vacation you can get a new lease on life and problems which previously seemed so big will now seem rather petty.
7. Talk about your emotions with your family members:
As we are all well aware, that the business world is a cut throat one indeed, where no one is our real friend and when the going gets tough, the only people who are really by our side will be our family members. So, you should talk to your family members as chances are that they will be able to furnish you with good advice and at the same time they will not judge you for what you have done wrong, doing this will really help you feel as though a great load has been lifted off your back. So do not feel shy to approach them.
8. Be around friends who will help you cheer up:
Constantly trying to deal with your feelings of guilt, could really take a negative toll on you physically, mentally as well as emotionally. So at such a tough time in your life, it would be advisable for you to spend some time in the company of your friends as they can really help you to cheer up and feel better. Our outlook on life will never be able to become positive again, unless you actually make an overt effort to come out of your shell, meet new people as well as broaden your horizons. After all, there is some truth in the common saying that ‘there are big ships and small ships but the best ship is friendship’.
9. Do not keep your feelings hidden or bottled up:
The term ‘dealing’ is a synonym for the word coping, so in order to cope with your feeling of guilt what you need to do is trying letting go of things. In such a situation one of the worst things which you can do is keep your feelings bottled up inside you and seeking isolation from everyone around you. As you start mixing around and having a look around you, you will realize that life isn’t easy and often things happen which we never anticipated or never made provisions for, in such cases you have to be resigned your fate rather than blaming yourself for something beyond your control.
10. Do some acts of charity and give back to society:
Doing any act of charity and putting a smile on someone’s weather beaten face is a feeling that is absolutely priceless. So in the event of being ridden with guilt and feeling absolutely at sea about what you should do, rather than trying to sit behind closed doors, you should try and make amends for what you have done by actually giving back to society and helping those who are less fortunate, this having been said, you need not only help people monetarily, you could also visit an old age home and spend some quality time with those senior citizens who have no one.
11. Be happy that at least you realized your mistakes and errors:
It is most likely that some action of your past is causing you to experience such feelings of guilt so rather than reveling in such negativity what you ought to realize is that no matter what has transpired, at least you have been able to learn from your mistakes as well as errors. Some people hurt others and disrupt the lives of others but they never even feel any sort of guilt or even remorse, but the very fact that you are feeling guilty shows that you are not a morally degenerate human being and you are someone who has genuine kindness as well as sensitivity.
12. Do act as if what you did in the past defines you:
It is of paramount importance that when dealing with guilt you remember that what happened in your past, does not define you as a person, a lot of people go through a lot in their lives and even make some bad decisions along the way, but as long as you try and learn from your mistakes and better yourself as an individual, you need not feel bad at all. Reveling in guilt will only make you feel worse about yourself as an individual.
13. Try and get involved in new activity to keep your mind off things:
Dealing with guilt is a good as well as mature thing to do, yet at the same time it certainly does not imply that you forget to live life. So rather than spending all your time engulfed in your own thoughts, it would benefit you greatly to get your mind off things by actually getting involved more activity in your office work. In addition to this you could also devote more time to a hobby of yours rather than constantly plaguing your mind with thoughts that might cause you to feel bad about yourself.
14. Spend some moments in contemplation with yourself:
Guilt is a feeling which cannot be explained, so in the event of not knowing exactly where your feelings of guilt stem from, you should spend some moments in quiet contemplation with yourself as at the end of the day no one knows you better than yourself.
15. Do not start doubting and second guessing yourself:
Dealing with guilt is necessary in order for you to move on, yet at the same time, you should not let things take such a toll on you that you start doubting yourself as well as second guessing your abilities as an individual. No matter what happens you should always hold your head up high because if you don’t respect yourself no one is going to respect you.
16. Gather a support group of sorts to share your feelings:
Tackling this feeling of guilt single handed might prove to be too difficult for an individual. So you can try to gather a support group of people going through the same thing so that you can share your fears and be there for one another in your time of need.
17. Accept the fact that everyone makes mistakes:
Last but certainly not the least is that you should realize that everyone makes mistakes and you are not the first one to do something wrong in your life. Looking at things from this angle will really help you in dealing with guilt.
So these are some of the ways in which you can try to alleviate yourself from this sense of guilt. No one says that things are going to be easy right at the onset, yet as long as you keep pushing forward and trying your best to take note of the positive things in your life, then naturally you will start feeling better over time. This sense of guilt may never entirely disappear, yet the more you try and make up for your deeds with acts of kindness and charity the better it will be for both you as well as your peace of mind. So focus on your future instead of worrying about bygones.
