Have you been hurt by someone you loved? Maybe their words hurt you and you don't know how to forgive them? Are you haunted by their actions and decisions that hurt you?
People hurt us sometimes. We forgive some people more easily than others. Feeling angry can have a negative effect on our health.
Discover the benefits of forgiveness in the following lines!
Reduce stress
If you can't forgive someone, you carry emotions like anger, disappointment, even hatred. All these feelings have a negative impact on mental and physical health. Your body is under a lot of stress if you are angry, sad, disappointed most of the day...
Years ago, they conducted a study in which 330 people of different ages, genders and nationalities participated. Significant reductions in cortisol (the stress hormone) have been observed in people who have forgiven those who have hurt them.
Nervous system activity
Our nervous system is divided into sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system works on the principle of fight or flight. It accelerates all processes in our body, except digestion, which means: speeds up the heart, breathing, causes pupils to dilate...
The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite, it works at rest, slowing down the heart and breathing, and speeding up digestion.
Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems must work for balance in the body. In today's world, due to various sources of stress, in many cases the sympathetic nervous system is much more active than the parasympathetic.
When we forgive someone, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system. In practice, this means that when we forgive, we slow down, calm and deepen our breathing, slow our heart, and calm and relax our entire body. Forgiveness therefore helps us achieve the balance we need.
Heart health and a longer life
Research shows that forgiving others can have a positive effect on heart health. Constant anger, hatred and restlessness are associated with the risk of developing heart disease, as well as worsening the condition of pre-existing heart patients.
The academic journal Journal of Behavioral Medicine published an interesting study on the topic of forgiveness. They found a link between forgiveness and a longer lifespan. By forgiving, we could also prevent many deadly diseases and premature death.
Prevention of mental illness
When you don't forgive the person who hurt you, you are likely to spend a lot of time thinking about that person or the unpleasant event. Overthinking and racking our brains over events that have happened to us is one of the main common features of most mental illnesses.
The problem comes when it becomes part of your daily life. As a result, your mental health and concentration and memory may decline.
It is often difficult to forgive people when they have hurt us. But if they forgive them, know that you are doing yourself and your health and well-being a big favor.
