The Power of Forgiveness: Why a Psychologist Advises Letting Go

 Nice News - Your husband forgot your birthday. A semitruck cut you off in rush hour traffic. Your dog went to go cuddle with someone else as soon as you started petting him. No matter what offense has been committed (and no matter how serious it is), it’s tempting to hold onto a grudge.
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But satisfying as it may be to silently shoot daggers at those who’ve wronged you, you may want to rethink that reaction. And we’re not basing this suggestion solely on instinct: Choosing forgiveness doesn’t just sound like the right thing to do, it actually invites a plethora of science-backed health benefits — selfish advantages, if you will.
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To glean more insight, we spoke to psychologist Everett Worthington, who co-authored the largest-ever intervention study on forgiveness. He explained that research like his has linked letting go “to reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms and to increases in well-being, flourishing, hope, and sleep quality.”
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Click to hear more from Worthington and download a free worksheet to start putting his advice into practice.