Emotional Maturity: Why Regret is a Double-Whammy

Regret is so detrimental to our emotional well-being because it is a today feeling about a yesterday action. It is a state that is both changeable (how I feel now) and unchangeable (what I did then.)

Regret can also be a double-whammy. If it doesn't change and you continue to let it live knowing you should change it, you now feel bad about what you did then and how you are feeling now.

This double-whammy effect is why regret should be vaccinated quickly. Some vaccination techniques...

1. Get your mental and emotional focus on something else.

2. Look for and celebrate the upsides of the situation.

3. Use positive language when talking about related events.

4. Don't put your focus on the regretful event. Don't bring it up in conversation (either with yourself or with others.)