Although it would be nice to think that some people manage to live a charmed life, the truth is that no one goes through life without being hurt at some point. It’s important remember that this is just stuff that we all have to live with, and work through in some way to move on. Whether it is the death of a loved one, a relationship ending, or even an abusive situation, there are simple coping techniques that can help you get rid of this excess emotional weight that you may be carrying around.
One of the biggest mistakes that a person can make when trying to get through any past trauma is to ignore it, saying it’s just stuff that doesn’t matter. It’s too easy to dismiss past disappointments and try to forget that they ever happened. This rarely works, however, because you will know in the back of your mind that it did in fact happen, and this cannot help but color your current outlook. It’s better to come to terms with the events of the past. Talking about them can help, be this with a loved one or a professional therapist if the event was particularly traumatic.
Sometimes making symbolic gestures can be a good way to remind yourself that this is just stuff from the past, and does not need to affect you any longer. This could include writing down the issue on paper and burning it, or putting it in a bottle and casting it out to sea if you are feeling romantic. Some mental association games can help you to cast the memories aside, such as giving them a name and treating them as wayward pets. Recognize that these memories have formed your current personality, and can only make you stronger if you will learn to accept and learn from them.
In some cases, it’s too hard to dismiss the past as just stuff that can be talked through in a day. If the past has left deep enough emotional scars that you find it hard to have meaningful relationships or function in society, then you can move on to the next step of treatment. A professional therapist will be able to help you evaluate the steps that you can take to move on and work through the past in a constructive and persistent manner. There is no one that is beyond help, and no situation that is too traumatic to move on from.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lin Shah. Lin Shah said: I just posted a blog: Letting Go of Emotional Baggage ( http://www.justestuff.com/letting-go-of-emotional-baggage/ ) [...]