Feeling guilty is almost as bad as feeling heartbroken or
depressed. It can nag at you for ages, and ruin your fun. The best
apporach towards guilt is to sort it out and clear your head.
Steps
- Try to figure out why you feel guilty. Grab a pen and notebook,
and write down a list of things that could be making you feel this
way. It might be difficult, but eventually you will figure out what
is making you guilty. If you can't figure it out, try this
approach: Consider each thing on your list and imagine if you had
not done it. If you immediately feel better or wistful, this is
probably the thing which is making you guilty.
- Rate your guilt. This might sound stupid, but it can really
help. Out of ten, make two ratings: How bad the thing is that
you've done, and how guilty you feel. After this, think about why
what you did was bad, and why you feel guilty about it. This should
hopefully leave your mind a little clearer.
- Consider what you are going to do. If the guilt you feel is
over something like being nasty to someone or neglecting a job or
pet, feel reassured in the fact that you can do something about
this. Write down what you're going to do, consider when and where,
and take action. If your guilt is for something like a persons'
death or a friend getting angry, acknowledge that it is not your
fault, and it's natural to feel this way. Do something to relax and
forget about it.
Tips
- Everyone messes up sometimes. If the person that you commited
the wrong to is your friend, they will forgive you in time.
- Try not to keep secrets from your parents. Things will only get
worse if you become further apart from your parents.
Warnings
- Don't hold it in. It will constantly bother you all the time.
The best thing to do is tell someone about it.
