Did you know that forgiving someone can be as beneficial for yourself as it is for the other person? According to child psychologist Everett Worthington, “There are a lot of benefits to the person who forgives,” Worthington says. “The main way that forgiveness affects mental health is by lowering rumination,” which is playing things over and over again in our minds, he adds. This rumination stresses us out and can create more negative feelings.

Worthington has a five-step approach called REACH when it comes to practicing forgiveness.

Recall: remember the hurt

Empathise: give the person the benefit of the doubt. Try to empathise with who they are and what they are going through.

Altruism: think of your forgiveness as an altruistic gift, they may not deserve it but you’re giving it. Commit: commit to your forgiveness and don’t backtrack

Hold on: hold on to the forgiveness and the way you feel after you do this.

Tell us what you think about this method!