This ancient biblical principle, which Jesus taught his friends and disciples, is now being scientifically researched*. This confirmed the correlation between high levels of stress caused by negative emotions and health problems. Fortunately, however, they also discovered that for people who can forgive others, there is no untoward association between negative emotions, high levels of stress, and health problems.
Who of us doesn’t know it? The “favourite colleague” is extremely “lovely” again and you seethe with anger. Whether you let it out or not, your anger also has a clear effect on your own body as stress: breathing becomes shallower and faster. The heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, which in turn leads to constricted blood vessels. Muscles are better supplied with blood and tense up. If this stress is not reduced, your body can only regenerate insufficiently. In the long term, this leads to depression, feelings of inferiority, sleep disorders and constant exhaustion.
Now my question for you: Do you really want to give other people so much power over your life or do you rather want to try FORGIVENESS?
Forgiveness is nothing for “wimps” or indecisive people. Rather, it is a conscious decision to no longer give the misconduct of your “favorite colleague” higher priority, but to realize the feelings that have arisen in you, such as anger and disbelief, to accept them and finally to let them go in a targeted manner.
Forgiveness takes effort and time. Feelings of relaxation often only follow long after the decision has been made. Forgiveness is NOT a pass for your counterpart to continue misbehaving. With your practice of forgiveness, you are not saying, “It’s ok that you behaved this way” but you are saying, “I can’t change your behavior AND it won’t bother me”.
These are 2 completely different things and you as the boss of your body and mind determine it yourself! Scientifically, your forgiveness lowers your blood pressure and may counteract your back pain, depression, or trouble sleeping. You will become more relaxed and with a little distance you may be able to gain something positive from all the “nagging” or even better, laugh heartily about it.
I wish you the best!
Strawberry-green greetings, Anke
