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Five Reasons to Learn to Forgive
Newswise — This New Year’s, an
unconventional resolution may be one of the healthiest you can
make—learning to forgive more easily. According to an article in the
January issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch, forgiving
those who hurt you can improve your mental and physical wellbeing.
“Five for 2005: Five Reasons to Forgive” also defines what
forgiveness is—and is not—and provides an exercise to help you learn
how to forgive.
It may come as a surprise that
forgiving is a skill you can hone, and that granting forgiveness may
actually do more for you than the person you forgive. Harvard
Women’s Health Watch discusses the following five positive health
effects of forgiving that have been scientifically studied:
1. Reduced stress. Researchers
found that mentally nursing a grudge puts your body through the same
strains as a major stressful event: Muscles tense, blood pressure
rises, and sweating increases.
2. Better heart health. One study found a link between forgiving
someone for a betrayal and improvements in blood pressure and heart
rate, and a decreased workload for the heart.
3. Stronger relationships. A 2004 study showed that women who were
able to forgive their spouses and feel benevolent toward them
resolved conflicts more effectively.
4. Reduced pain. A small study on people with chronic back pain
found that those who practiced meditation focusing on converting
anger to compassion felt less pain and anxiety than those who
received regular care.
5. Greater happiness. When you forgive someone, you make
yourself—rather than the person who hurt you—responsible for your
happiness. One survey showed that people who talk about forgiveness
during psychotherapy sessions experience greater improvements than
those who don’t.
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