Forgiveness
is most often associated with the concepts of social and spiritual health.
Research is constantly finding that unforgiveness and true forgiveness can
impact physical and
mental health as well. “the act of forgiveness -pardoning
someone who has done you wrong - can
not only metaphorically lift a burden off
your shoulders, but it can do so physically, as well”
(Bushak).
Unforgiveness
or holding grudges can make life look more challenging than it is. Bushak explains the research this way.
The authors of the study, from
Erasmus University’s Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands, had 46
undergraduate students participate in two experiments. The first involved half
of the students writing about “a time when they were seriously offended by
another person, and ultimately forgave them.” The other half of students were
asked to write about a similar incident, but one in which they never forgave
the person and continued to view them negatively.
After each writing exercise, the
students in both groups walked to a certain point in a nearby hill and were
asked to estimate its slant. Interestingly, those who had written about their
experience of forgiving someone estimated the hill to be less steep than those
who were still thinking about their negative feelings towards someone they
hadn’t forgiven.
If students who were holding
grudges could see the hill has steeper, you can begin to envision that they
would look at most of life’s “mountains” as steeper than people who lived in
forgiveness. One of the interesting pieces to pull from this study is this was
done at a School of Management. This
was not research aimed at locating health concerns, but it shows the mental
impact that holding grudges can have on people who are in a management
position. Deepak Chopra says “ One of the heaviest emotional burdens
we carry is a lack of forgiveness — for others and especially, for
ourselves.” This self-anger can
certainly add to the stress someone in a management position could have as well
as in everyday life.
A
secondary study from Erasmus University found a physical impact on people who
hold grudges. Bushak writes about it.
In
the second experiment, 160 undergraduate students from Erasmus University and
National University of Singapore were divided into three groups. The first
wrote about an experience in which they were harmed by another person but
forgave them; the second wrote about a similar situation but one in which they
didn’t forgive the person; and the third wrote about a “recent interpersonal
interaction” that didn’t necessarily involve harming or forgiveness. They were
then tested in an “ostensible physical fitness task,” in which they were
measured by the height of their jumps. The researchers found that the students who had written about
forgiveness jumped higher on average than those who focused on the negative
feelings involved with not forgiving someone. However, the jumping difference
between those who forgave and those who simply wrote about a neutral
interpersonal interaction was minimal: proving that it was the act of holding a
grudge that was “weighing” people down.
We were made to live in
forgiveness. From these two studies, it is easy to see that holding onto
bitterness can make us see the world differently and have less physical
stamina.
John Hopkins
University psychiatrist Karen Swartz adds to the understanding of
forgiveness on one’s body: “Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap
huge rewards for your health, lowering the risk of heart attack; improving
cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and
levels of anxiety, depression and stress.” “Hostility is an inflammatory
emotion and, as researchers have found, the number one emotional risk factor
for premature death from heart attacks and strokes. Hostility is also linked to
autoimmune disorders” (Chopra.) Being disappointed, angry, or hurt places
our body into fight or flight mode, “which results in numerous changes in heart rate,
blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of
depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions” (Swartz).
Chopra goes on to expand upon that idea; “It’s not a coincidence that we
speak of people ‘dying from a broken heart,’ or describe a betrayal as ‘a stab
in the back,’ or say that a deep loss was ‘gut wrenching.’” Things that can
lead us to need to forgive someone else truly hurt our bodies.
“Forgiveness, however, calms stress levels, leading to improved health”
(Swartz). “Fortunately, this body-mind is incredibly flexible, and when we
let go of the emotional toxicity, our body immediately begins to return to
homeostasis, which is a state of self-healing and self-regulation” (Chopra). Swartz helps us to define what true
forgiveness is. It is not about mouthing the words or a half-hearted attempt to
let go of anger. “It is an active process in which you make a conscious
decision to let go of negative feelings whether the person deserves it or not”
(Swartz). People who chose not to forgive are at a greater risk of “severe
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other health conditions”
(Swartz).
“Sixty-two
percent of American adults say they need more forgiveness in their lives”
(Swartz). When they do that the mental health benefits are enormous; “less
depression, anxiety, stress, anger and hostility” (Swartz). Additionally,
choosing to forgive allows “you begin to feel empathy, compassion and sometimes
even affection for the person who wronged you” (Swartz). Chopra adds,
“ In forgiving, we free ourselves from attachments to the past, and we clear
encumbrances that constrict our heart and accelerate the aging process.” Our bodies, minds, and spirits were made to
live in peace, forgiving others and ourselves when things go wrong, even when
things done are purposeful and horrendous. Our bodies and our minds want to let
go, forgive, and be healthy.
Need a place to start? Forgive the guy that was driving like a jerk earlier today. Want to look at your whole life? Break it up in 5 year segments. List everything good or bad that happened then. Express gratitude for the good things that happened, then forgive all the people, circumstances or God who were involved in the bad things. As you practice, you will feel immense release!
Please message me when you begin to see the health benefits of your acts of forgiveness! And feel free to reach out if you are struggling to do so. Info@healthliteracyforall.org
Sources:
Bushak, Lecia. (2015). How
Forgiveness Benefits Your Health: Forgiving Wrongdoers Can Expand
Physical Fitness.
Retrieved from https://www.medicaldaily.com/how-forgiveness-benefits-
your-health-forgiving-wrongdoers-can-expand-physical-fitness-316902
Chopra, Deepak. (2017). Why
Forgiveness Has The Power To Heal & Make You Whole Again.
Retrieved from https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-20532/why-forgiveness-has-the-power-
to-heal-make-you-whole-again.html
Swartz, Karen. (2018). Forgiveness:
Your Health Depends on It. Retrieved from
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/healthy_aging/healthy_connections/forgiveness-
your-health-depends-on-it
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