10 Ways To Forget About A Bad Memory

Have you ever asked yourself why bad memories stick with us for longer. Embarrassing moments, trauma incidents, or just some tragic story you may see on telly. You try to move away from these memories  but for some reason they keep coming back in your mind. It feels like a mosquitos bite. It remain with you for months and years sometimes.

Forunately there are healthy ways to deal and oust bad memories.

1. Avoid triggers.

Sometimes these memories are related to certain places or objects. If this is the case try to avoid those places. If you have some objects that remind of some bad moments of your life get rid of them.

2. Suppress your memory.

At times when we try to get rid of a negative thought, it just dont seem to happen. In fact the more we try the harder it becomes to forget about.

Control your mind by letting this memory in. Remind it all over again and again as it occurred, until it loses the power. It will commence to fade out of your mind.

3. Use memory alteration.

Every time a bad memory comes into your mind it changes a bit from the original version. Use alteration to fill these gaps in memory with some good moments. Time after time make little changes. Alter it with false information. Eventually it will be a changed version of events. It will be a different story. Maybe not a great one, but at least it will lose the power to hurt you.

4. Pair a bad memory with  beautiful one.

A bad memory change your mood, makes you feel anxious and depressed. Don’t let it. Once it enters your mind don’t give it time to ruin your day, pair it with a happy story of your life.

Shifting from negative thoughts to positive ones will refresh those beautiful moments in your life, and make them more powerful.

5. Return yourself in present time.

We all have different experiences in life. Some are bad some are good. That’s how are past is written.

So if you find yourself travelling in one of those bad events, shake yourself and return into present time. Here and now.

Here are some ways to practise mindfulness and live in the present.

• Meditation. It helps being mindful and live life now.
• Recall todays details. If you keep going back to certain parts of past, wake up yourself. I am here. I am doing this now. Ground yourself in the present moment.
• Notice how you feel right here  right now. Use your senses. What you feel, smell, see?
• Free your mind from distractions by practising deep breathing.

6. Remind yourself, you learned the lesson.

It happened. You lived it. You went through it. You are here now, and the most important you learned a lesson. At least.

7. Get busy.

We tend to go back to our past when we doing nothing with our time, or when you spend lots of time alone.

Well if you have plenty time in your hands and not much to do still make some plans.

Read some books. You’ll enjoy and learn. Volunteer. Help others and meet new people. Get together with friends more often. Go out for walk and enjoy connecting with nature. Visit your family time after time. Simply engage yourself with some physical activities.

8. Stay away from drugs.

Using drugs and alcohol to forget about a bad memory only makes matters worse. It could lead to addiction. It turns your life upside down. So stay away from heavy use of alcohol and drugs.

9. Talk to your best friend.

If it’s affecting your life, and nothing is helping talk to a family member or to someone you trust. It will ease the pressure in your mind, you feel lighter.

10. Ask for professional help.

Some traumatic events can be hard to overcome. Don’t waste time, ask for professional help if that seem to be your situation.

Photo credit PIXABAY