How to Make Guilt Go Away

Guilty feelings can drag you down and wreak havoc in your life.

Guilt is an emotion a person feels when he judges and blames himself for something. Sometimes, however, a person can blame himself for things out of his control and experience unnecessary guilt. You can spend your life carrying the burden of guilt, but you are not helping anyone. You need to get over your guilt so you can be free and live your life.

Instructions

1. Pinpoint the guilty feelings. Write down the things that cause your guilt, such as not having enough time with your kids, for instance. Be honest with yourself. Make a list of everything that is causing your guilt, both big and small.

2. Accept responsibility and make amends. Look at your list and decide on a plan of action for those things in your control. Perhaps your guilt is over lying to someone. In this instance, you need to let the other person know you are sorry. In order to move forward, you need to take responsibility for your actions and thus release the emotional baggage of guilt weighing you down.

3. Get rid of the guilt in which you have no control. Look at your list again. Ask yourself if the guilt is rational or not. For instance, if you are a working mom, you may feel guilty. However, your family may need your income. You have to realize that you are doing the best you can. You must let that guilt go. You are not helping anyone by carrying around all that guilt.

4. Seek support. You may be unable to get rid of certain guilty feelings. Perhaps you feel guilty because you have survived an accident or illness. You can't spend your life obsessing over this. It can help to speak to someone who can relate and assist you in working through this. Find a support group in your area. Consider professional help if you have deep-seated guilt that will not leave you. A counselor can help you overcome these feelings.

References

• Psych Central: Five Tips for Dealing with Guilt; John Grohol, PSYD
• Mayo Clinic: Cancer Survivors: Dealing with Guilt When Others Don't Live On; Sheryl Ness; July 3, 2010
• Focus on the Family; Cure for Feeling Real Guilt; Paul Coughlin
• Real Psychology Solutions; Living Guilt-Free; Arlene Unger, Ph.D.
• Focus on the Family; Healthy Guilt vs. False and Harmful Guilt; Paul Coughlin