This morning on the radio, I was reminded of the old saying “refusing to forgive is like you drinking poison and hoping the other person who wronged you dies.” “Wow,” I thought, “that is such a powerful metaphor.”
One of the pillars of lifestyle medicine is emotional well-being, which is greatly impacted by our stress levels. Research shows that forgiveness is negatively correlated to stress and emotional health. When we forgive, we reduce our stress levels, and when we hold on to grudges, we increase our stress levels. This impact on our stress levels is happening subconsciously, whether you believe you’ve moved on or not.
When we are holding onto grudges, it negatively impacts our emotional and physical health. It’s like harboring poison; it’s like relinquishing your emotional freedom to the person who hurt you. Research also shows a strong link between emotional and physical health, and that holding grudges can contribute to illnesses including high blood pressure and anxiety.
So the question is: do you want your offender to be the reason you develop a chronic illness like high blood pressure? Is what they did worth that impact on your health? Are they? Forgiveness is part of practicing lifestyle medicine. Lifestyle medicine focuses on preventing and treating chronic illness by making healthy, healthy life lifestyle choices, both emotionally and physically.
Forgiveness is not easy for everyone, but we can get help or take small steps to achieve this goal. If you need help resolving relationship issues and practicing forgiveness, you may be a great candidate for my Relationship Prescription Program. Let’s work together to get back control of your emotional health and improve your overall well-being.
It’s time to take your energy, emotional space, time and health back. It’s time to forgive.
Bebe Wilkinson, NBC-HWC, LMC, MBA
Succeed With Bebe Wilkinson 
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