21 Ways You Can Practice Letting Go
Last updated: Feb 26, 2023
Letting go of stress and worries can be a difficult practice, but it is possible with some dedicated effort. Here are 10 ways you can practice letting go:
1. Meditate and focus on your breathing. Taking time to sit still and focus on your breath will help you shift into a calmer state of mind that allows for releasing worry and other negative emotions.
2. Take a walk and explore nature. Enjoying the outdoors can provide an opportunity to clear the mind and reconnect with yourself in the present moment without worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
3. Set small achievable goals each day. Accomplishing these goals can create a feeling of accomplishment that helps us let go of any lingering doubt or insecurity we may have about our abilities.
4. Reframe negative thoughts. Notice when you’re having negative thoughts and take steps to reframe them into something more positive or productive that serves your best interests instead of allowing them to drag you down further into anxiety or fear around certain situations or events.
5. Practice mindfulness by being aware in every moment without judging yourself or becoming attached to outcomes that are beyond your control anyway.
6. Spend time with family and friends who make you feel accepted, secure, and happy so you can relax in their presence without any need to prove anything or constantly defend yourself against criticism from others who might not understand where you’re coming from emotionally or intellectually.
7. Practice self-care by taking breaks throughout the day to do things like listen to music, write in a journal, watch a movie, meditate, etc., which all help promote relaxation and peace of mind even within chaotic days filled with tasks and expectations from outside sources.
8 .Take a break from social media as it often creates more anxieties than it relieves simply because there's no way for us to truly know what's happening in someone else's life just based on what they're posting online, so it's important to remember this when scrolling through feeds comparing ourselves against those we don't really know at all!
9 .Spend time in nature away from technology since nature has an innate ability to bring calming peace while also providing an opportunity for connection with oneself—something that's essential if one wants true freedom from external pressures!
10. Take up yoga or other relaxation activities – Yoga is great for helping to alleviate stress and tension in the body, which in turn can help in letting go of emotions and issues. Other relaxation activities such as tai chi, mindfulness meditation or qigong can also help.
11. Journal your thoughts - Writing out your thoughts and feelings is a great way to process them and come to terms with what you’re holding onto and why. Writing down the things that are making it hard for you to let go, then ripping up that piece of paper or burning it can feel incredibly cathartic too!
12. Talk to a counselor or therapist – Talking through an issue with someone else who understands can help bring clarity around why we’re holding onto certain things, so that we can begin moving forward from them.
13. Spend time alone – Being alone allows us space for reflection, self-exploration and understanding our own inner workings without any outside influences getting in the way. Taking yourself away from people, places and situations associated with a particular issue will also make it easier to move on from it.
14. Visualize yourself releasing the issue – Visualization exercises like imagining how you would feel if you were able to truly let go of the issue you’re facing, playing out different scenarios in your mind of what life could look like afterwards etc., are great aids for processing those complex emotions that often accompany letting go.
15. Spend time in prayer or contemplation – Prayer creates a powerful connection between ourselves and something greater than ourselves, allowing us to focus on what matters most without worrying about all the noise surrounding us (or feeling overwhelmed by certain issues). Contemplation likewise looks internally towards our core values as well as externally towards universal truths; helping create further understanding around our situation/issue at hand so that we may let go more easily from it once resolved.
16. Let go of perfectionism – trying to make everything perfect is often an impossible task, so accept that sometimes things won’t turn out the way you expect or plan.
17. Allow yourself to experience joy – don’t put too many restrictions or rules on your happiness, allow yourself to enjoy simple pleasures in life.
18. Practice gratitude – take time each day to appreciate what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have.
19. Develop healthy relationships – being around people who bring out the best in you will help reduce stress and make it easier to let go.
20. Spend time in silence – meditating and practicing mindfulness can be great tools for helping with feelings of anxiety and learning how to control them better.
21. Let go of the need to control every outcome – understand that not everything is within your power, and accepting this fact can give you more peace of mind by taking away that feeling of responsibility for all outcomes in life.
