Everybody struggles with having regrets at some point in their life. It is an unfortunate part of growing up and looking back on life. However, there are so many reasons why we need to start embracing our past instead of regretting it.

The problem with holding on to our regrets is that it causes you a lot of stress and can often times lead to worse things such a depression. There is nothing we can do to change our past or alter the things that we feel we messed up on, but there is a way to move forward from them. Here are some things that you can try!

1. Talk about it.

This may seem like an obvious choice, but more often than not it is not. Talking about the things you regret may help you. When you confront the situations that bother you, or the people who were involved and talk it out, you often find that it relieves a lot of the built up emotions you have about it.

2. Write about it.

How cliche, a writer telling someone to write, right? Although this may not work for everyone, writing your feelings down on a piece of paper may help you feel better about the outcome of the situation. This might be a better option for someone who is more introverted and does not like confrontation, and at the same time still wants to relieve some of that built up emotion.

3. Change is good.

Sometimes people regret people they have lost or things they have done to themselves. Just remember that change is good, and although it may hurt, it will not stick with you forever. There are a thousand possibilities for what you could regret, but just remember that you need to get yourself back on the track you want to be on in order to make yourself happy.

4. Challenge that negative energy

There are things such as bullying, substance abuse, or rape culture that often need to be lectured about. Even if it is not any of these things, channeling the energy that you have built up and turning it into a positive is one of the greatest ways to make something good happen. This is a way you can help many people learn from what happened to you.

5. Let your emotions out.

Don't be afraid to let our your emotions. Cry, scream, dance, do whatever you have to do to make yourself okay with whatever happened. Regrets are terrible, they can bring you down and haunt you and nobody wants that. Don't be afraid to show how you feel, you do you, nobody is going to judge you.

The best advice I can give is do whatever you can to get yourself happy, and let go of the regrets you have. We all have plenty, but we don't want them to bog us down! Make the best out of them.