Personal growth typically involves self-reflection and learning from experiences. Addressing hurt feelings is a part of this process of gaining insights into other emotions and behaviors, fostering self-awareness and personal development. Unresolved hurt feelings lead to prolonged emotional distress, affecting your well-being. Healing allows you to move on, fostering emotional resilience and a more positive mindset. Hurt feelings can strain relationships. Addressing and resolving emotional wounds helps strengthen connections. Acknowledging hurt feelings promotes self-understanding and contributes to a kinder relationship with yourself and builds internal trust.
Tips to Healing Hurt
Ask yourself, “What is my anger about?” Childhood traumas are also sources of anger because you feel helpless. As a child or adolescent, you didn’t ask for the trauma or abuse but became the victim in situations. Now, as the adult, you have the power to shift away from the pain and suffering and neutralize memories of experiences.
- Notice the trigger. What brings the past hurtful situation into your mind today? A few examples, fear, avoidance, or uncertainty?
- How do you feel? Some examples might be helpless, hurt, angry, fearful, vengeful, manipulated or something else.
- Be in a quiet place, take long, deep breaths and feel the hurt. Notice where it’s located in the body. Most often in the heart or solar plexus.
- Do not criticize the situation. The “why” it’s still in your life is because it’s not resolved. If you feel like crying, do so. Don’t hold back.
- Don’t justify the situation. Perhaps a parent was involved. Don’t go into “mom or dad did the best they could.” It’s not going to help you heal.
- What do you need to feel different? You’ll need to be extremely honest with yourself. What do you need? Examples might be love, understanding, or hugs.
