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RealAge Tip

Pardon Me

Rating: 4 out of 5
Do yourself a favor: forgive someone.

Recent research suggests that people who let go of a grudge may experience less pain, anger, anxiety, and depression and may be more content than people who are unable to forgive. So mend some fences and don't let lingering resentment harm your health.

Anger, resentment, hostility, and vengeance can harm your physical and mental health and may even influence your risk of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease. Conversely, research suggests positive emotions such as forgiveness may have a beneficial effect on health. Achieve forgiveness by talking with a trusted friend, family member, or therapist or by writing about your experiences and feelings in a journal. Forgiving someone does not mean condoning people or situations that have caused you distress or pain. It just means resolving your feelings and not letting upsetting experiences affect your emotional and physical health.

RealAge Benefit: Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger.
References Published on 05/01/2005.
Dispositional forgiveness of self, others, and situations. Thompson, L. Y., Snyder, C. R., Hoffman, L., Michael, S. T., Rasmussen, H. N., Billings, L. S., Heinze, L., Neufeld, J. E., Shorey, H. S., Roberts, J. C., Roberts, D. E., Journal of Personality 2005 Apr;73(2):313-360.



Forgiveness and chronic low back pain: a preliminary study examining the relationship of forgiveness to pain, anger, and psychological distress. Carson, J. W., Keefe, F. J., Goli, V., Fras, A. M., Lynch, T. R., Thorp, S. R., Buechler, J. L., The Journal of Pain: Official Journal of the American Pain Society 2005 Feb;6(2):84-91.

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SanDeE1
3 of 3 people found this helpful.
6/30/2008 6:09:41 PM

Anger chokes the energy of the heart. Meditation on love is very powerful for dissolving this negative energy.
Love, is similar to compassi
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