Daily Workout

Forgiveness

Posted by on

Forgiveness is the act of consciously deciding to let go of resentment or vengeance toward another. Here are some mental and physical benefits you can reap by learning to forgive:

Live Longer – People who practice conditional forgiveness – only forgive if others say sorry first – may be more likely to die earlier compared with people who practice forgiveness without conditions.

Gets you out of Anger Mode – When you are chronically angry there are effects on your blood pressure and heart rate. When you truly forgive that leads to decreased stress which help to control your anger and your feelings of not being in control.

 Helps you to sleep better – learning to practice forgiveness can reduce feelings of tension, anger, depression and fatigue which will increase your ability to sleep more soundly.

Making amends helps you forgive yourself – When you are the one who needs forgiveness, making amends to the person wronged can better help you to forgive yourself.

Your heart will thank you – Practicing forgiveness has been shown to lower blood pressure. Receiving forgiveness also can lower blood pressure and reduce the effects of stress.

Immune system benefits – A 2011 study showed that people with HIV who practiced genuine forgiveness toward others had higher immunity to the impact of HIV/AIDS.

It can strengthen your relationships – Truly forgiving your partner can be a key factor in keeping couples together.

Can protect against long-term stress – Having the trait of forgiveness protects against stress’s negative effects on mental health. In one University of California study: “We found that lifetime stress severity was unrelated to mental health for person who were highest in ability to forgive but was significantly associated with poorer mental health for persons exhibiting moderate levels in the ability to forgive and most strongly associated with poorer mental health for participants exhibiting the lowest levels in the ability to forgive.”

In other words: The practice of learning to forgive and receive forgiveness is good for your long-term physical and mental health.

Comments

to leave comment