We all have a past, the one that haunts us and keeps us awake at night. It could be that embarrassing moment at school, a bad breakup with the person you thought was the one, a bunch of what-ifs, or something else. These memories can have a strong hold on our life in the present.
Sometimes, the traumatic memories can take hold of your entire body. You might find yourself in a situation so bad that it makes you feel physically ill. People who cannot escape their past are prone to experience headaches, sweating, stomachaches, and weakness.
The Past and Our Emotional Connection to Them
There is a strong connection between emotions and our memory. The amygdala is responsible for both our emotions and our memories. As a result, it remembers the strong emotions associated with memories. The memory of winning that trophy or award. Or that painful experience of missing out on the top spot.
A positive memory can be crucial to improving your mindset. It instills you with confidence and helps you build a growth mindset.
Negative memories can have the opposite effect on your mindset. You might struggle to let go of negative feelings that are too challenging to deal with.
Escaping the Past
The only way to escape the past is by confronting it head-on and dealing with your emotions associated with the past. Reflect on those memories and then deal with them. Reflect on the past and deal with the trauma if you ever want to escape the past.
Talking to Someone You Trust
There is nothing more helpful than talking to someone you trust. Purring your heart out to each other is a great way to not only heal from the past but also strengthen your relationship with each other.
Going for Long Walks
Through long walks, you get the chance to experience healing in nature. It also gives you time to ruminate and address the past.
Mindfulness (meditation, yoga, etc.)
This is a growing field and has great potential in helping people escape their past. You get the opportunity to dive back into past memories and deal with them through mindful practices such as meditation and yoga.
Journaling
We are all unique, and each of us has a different approach to expressing ourselves. Some like to think things over, some prefer to talk about it with a loved one, and others prefer to write it all out on a piece of paper.
Time to Move On
If you are still struggling to escape the past, do not worry; you can rely on the tactics shared below to succeed.
Avoid Triggers
There are certain things that might remind you of a negative experience and cause a flashback to the past. The trigger will bring out all those negative emotions along with the past memories.
Positivity
You need to adopt a positive mindset, and for this, you will have to work on everything from your lifestyle to the people in your life. First, you need to start by creating a healthy routine. Here, it is very important for you to practice building a healthy relationship.
Forgiveness
Whether it’s a broken heart or a lost friendship over something that happened in the past, you will continue to hurt yourself if you refuse to forgive others. It is unhealthy for both of your well-being to continue with this negativity. While some people will never apologize, you can always be the bigger person and learn to move on. Lastly, do not forget to forgive yourself for past mistakes.
Do You Need the Help of a Professional?
When you are stuck in the past for too long, it begins to affect your present. Moreover, it begins to affect everything from the people in your life to your work. Such a traumatic past can be difficult to escape alone. You may need to consider getting the help of a professional.
Research proves that people have a better experience dealing with the past and other traumatic experiences when they have a strong support network. Your support network may comprise friends, family members, loved ones, and others.
However, for certain past memories that cause trauma, your support network will not suffice. There are some things that are best left to the professionals who are better equipped to help you escape the past. If this is the case for you, it is time to consider getting the help of a licensed mental health professional. They can help you deal with issues like depression, anxiety, or PTSD.
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