When those memories come up, choose a different response. Laugh at yourself. Forgive yourself. Love yourself.
Any recommended reading on this topic? Choosing a different response when these memories come up is really difficult for me, personally. Even when I acknowledge that I’ve grown as a person since then, the memories themselves still just feel jarringly awful.
I would personally think that Buddhist techniques like mindfulness and meditation would be helpful here.
I don’t know how I really achieved it, but one thing I do remember I did was altering my negative self-talk so I would be alarmed and notice I was doing it.
I basically changed “I should kill myself” to “I should kill (some other specific person)”, as the latter horrified me. Might be a similar technique.
I’ve found a lot of success in working through things logically when the painful memories return.
What does this memory teach me?
Have I learned all I can from this memory?
If it has taught me everything it can, I can set this memory aside, as there is no purpose in dwelling on it.
I am a better person because of the lessons learned, thank you memory, you have served me well. You may rest
This puts me in a position of acknowledging my imperfections without suffering long term regret. I can’t change the past, and if I’ve learned from it, then I need to live in the Now, not the Then
Any recommended reading on this topic? Choosing a different response when these memories come up is really difficult for me, personally. Even when I acknowledge that I’ve grown as a person since then, the memories themselves still just feel jarringly awful.
Here is an article discussing it.
I would personally think that Buddhist techniques like mindfulness and meditation would be helpful here.
I don’t know how I really achieved it, but one thing I do remember I did was altering my negative self-talk so I would be alarmed and notice I was doing it.
I basically changed “I should kill myself” to “I should kill (some other specific person)”, as the latter horrified me. Might be a similar technique.
Much appreciated! I’ll give it a read.
I’ve found a lot of success in working through things logically when the painful memories return.
This puts me in a position of acknowledging my imperfections without suffering long term regret. I can’t change the past, and if I’ve learned from it, then I need to live in the Now, not the Then