Living with / Coping with Regrets
Sure a certain amount of regret is inevitable over a lifetime.
Mistakes, missteps, and bad decisions are part of the human condition. We’re all vulnerable to wondering what might have happened if we’d done one thing and not the other, or if we’d only acted when we didn’t. But how we process regret varies from one person to the next.
My learning is that regret can motivate us into action like: “I won’t let an opportunity like that slip away again!” or “If only I’d left the first time he/she lied to me” or “If only I hadn’t quit before the company went public”.
There are those among us who, echoing Edith Piaf, insist that “Non, je ne regrette rien” in english: “No, I regret nothing" a song, as I already mentioned one year ago, my wife loved - and my wife and I am are one of those who found and find a good part, a silver lining in every bad choice.
Life is full of challenges, moments, and possibilities, and you might experience regret based on some choices you make. And you might wonder what could have resulted from other options or if you could have avoided unfortunate occurrences. But you’re not alone - it's human - researched had shown that people regret nearly one-third of every decision in one week.
The impacts of living with regret
Living with regret can impact your mental health - that might be:
- Depression and lower life satisfaction
- Increased anxiety
- Lowers self-esteem and confidence
- Lacking motivation and feeling hopeless
Talk to someone if your thoughts are impacting your mood.
Tips for Coping With Regret
- Apologize for Mistakes (yourself or others)
- Practice Self-Acceptance
- Forgive Yourself and Take Action
One way to help cope with feelings of regret is to use those experiences to fuel future action.
- Consider what you might have changed and done differently, but instead of ruminating over what cannot be changed
- Reframe it as a learning opportunity that will allow you to make better choices in the future.
In this context a song by Robbie Williams - No Regrets:
From the lyrics:
They don't work
No regrets now
They only hurt
(We've been told you stay up late)
I know they're still talking
The demons in your head
(Return the videos they're late)
If I could just stop hating you (goodbye)
I'd feel sorry for us instead
Remember the photographs, insane!
The one where we all laugh, so lame!
We were having the time of our lives
Well thank you—
It was a real blast!
No regrets
They don't work
No regrets now
They only hurt
Your comments are welcome. I will check them, read and perhaps reply - but I will not publish any comments - thanks for your understanding
ReplyDelete