According to a new study published by the Journal of Health Psychology, forgiving our friends can positively impact our mental wellbeing.
The health journal gave 148 young adults questionnaires in order to assess their ability to forgive in correlation with their mental health and wellbeing.
Results showed that those with the most stressful social life experienced a greater negative impact on their mental and physical health. Whilst those who were forgiving of both themselves and others, did not experience a correlation between stress and mental illness.
The study went on to further suggest that forgiving our friends can also help us to sleep, reduce our levels of stress and anxiety, whilst also lowering our blood pressure and cholestrol. Time to re-think our squad game...
According to study author Loren Toussaint, the relationship between stress and broken friendship becomes ‘entirely erased’ as he told Time, ‘If you don’t have forgiving tendencies, you feel the raw effects of stress in an unmitigated way. You don’t have a buffer against that stress.’
And if you’re sat there thinking you’re far too stubborn to say sorry then you have no excuse, as Toussaint believes that forgiveness can ‘100%’ be learned through therapy.
Can you learn to become more forgiving?
If you’re sat there thinking you’re far too stubborn to say sorry then you have no excuse, as Toussaint believes that forgiveness can ‘100%’ be learned through therapy.
However, it may not be as simple for everyone, as experts believe that some people acquire the forgiveness trait whereas others do not. They also believe that people who are less naturally forgiving are less satisfied with their life and are more likely to suffer with depression, anxiety and stress.
The dangers of holding a grudge
Remember the saying, 'holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned'? This isn't just true figuratively
speaking, as holding on to a grudge means holding onto prolonged anger which raises your heart rate and blood pressure.
How to practice the art of letting go
Meditation can be a great way of taking yourself out of your busy thoughts and allowing yourself to focus on the present. Mindfulness can be a great way to find peace, both with the person refuse to forgive and with yourself.
We best get taking tips from the Queen of #squadgoals herself, Taylor Swift...
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