Getting your feelings hurt and hurting others is regrettable, but these mistakes, in the end, help us grow and improve ourselves. That being said, emotional manipulation is a common tool that people might use to control and assert their dominance over others. If there are people in your life who might use emotional manipulation to make you feel bad for things, then it’s time to do something about it.
Keep in mind that you should never feel bad about feeling guilty. After all, guilt is no different from any other emotion. However, many times, your guilt could be misplaced. This means that you might kee
p feeling bad about things that you shouldn’t. There are some things that you need to stay mentally and emotionally healthy.
So, you should not feel bad or guilty about some things. In this post, I’ve listed 12 things that you should not feel bad or guilty about.
12 Things You Should Not Feel Bad About
1. Taking A Stand For Yourself
When you take a stand for your choices, never feel bad about it. Speaking for yourself and your peace is as much about self-care as it is about your mental health. If someone is making you feel guilty about taking a stand, then reconsider having them in your social circle.
2. Setting Boundaries For Yourself
Regardless of what others say, boundaries are important for your mental and emotional health. Sometimes, we need to have boundaries even with our loved ones to keep our minds at rest. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad about wanting to maintain your boundaries. If they do, tell them it’s your choice and they must respect it.
3. For Saying “No”
It’s not always easy to say “no” especially when you need to say it to a loved one. But how are you supposed to help someone if you don’t have the mental capacity for it? You cannot keep going on empty reserves, so it’s okay to say no sometimes. No need to feel badly about it, and if someone makes you feel guilty for it, remind them of your boundaries.
4. Asking For Support
I’ve heard people say that asking for help makes them feel weak. Is it true? Not at all! We all need help from time to time, so if you are asking for help, no need to feel bad about it. Instead asking for support is one of the best things you can do for yourself. The real strength is in accepting that you need help rather than in going on without support.
5. Taking Time For Yourself
Everyone needs some alone time, and so do I. I’ve also noticed that when I prioritize self-care, people comment on me for being selfish. It’s enough to make anyone feel bad, right? But should you feel bad about yourself? Or rather taking time for yourself? No! We all need alone time to recharge ourselves. You cannot keep running on low fuel forever, right? Alone time is also a part of your self-care and should not be ignored.
6. Saying No To Intimacy
I’m not just talking about physical intimacy here, but emotional too. There could be a hundred reasons why you don’t feel the need to be intimate and that’s ok. You don’t need to feel bad about saying no to intimacy. Whatever your reasons, all could be valid and a respectful partner should know to accept them. If someone is making you feel bad about it, then it just shows their disrespect towards your boundaries.
7. For Your Feelings
No matter what others tell you, your emotions and feelings are yours and as valid as anyone else’s. Others will always want you to feel cheerful and if you express your sadness over something, they will make you feel bad, especially if it is something inconsequential in their minds. If that happens, don’t pay mind to it and feel whatever you want to feel. You can’t feel guilty about your emotions.
8. For Changing Your Beliefs
With time we’re all bound to change and grow into ourselves, right? And it’s a given that with age, we might change our beliefs too. Change is inevitable and you should not feel bad about growing up or changing your beliefs. If someone makes you feel bad about it, then maybe it’s a sign to let them go.
9. For Being Quiet And Not Socializing
Not everyone can be energetic all the time, and we are bound to feel tired after a lengthy social interaction. Introverts, especially, feel mentally exhausted after social interactions and need time to recharge themselves. If you feel the need to be quiet or are not in a mood to socialize much, then it’s okay. No one should make you feel bad about needing some quiet time. There’s nothing wrong with wanting time for quiet reflection. If someone does make you feel bad, then maybe they are not as accepting of you as they should be.
10. For Not Being Always Available
As I said, you cannot keep running on empty fuel forever. You need time to charge yourself. I’m not saying you shouldn’t help others, but you cannot be there for everyone all the time. So, if your loved ones need you and you can’t be there, then it’s okay, too. You should not feel bad about not being emotionally or physically available, always.
11. For Making Your Own Decisions
As adults, we can make our own decisions. We know what we want and we all have a choice in following that. There’s nothing wrong with making your own decisions and no one can make you feel guilty or bad about it.
12. For Making Mistakes
We all make mistakes, it’s only natural. Mistakes help us learn new lessons and give us new experiences to feel. We can’t learn if we don’t make mistakes, right? So, never let anyone make you feel bad about making mistakes. Keep making them and keep learning from them. Just don’t make a habit of repeating those mistakes!
Final Words:
Focus on what matters and let go of what doesn’t. Guilt and feeling bad about yourself for things that matter to you is one of them. If others’ words give you the thought, “I feel bad for myself” or “I feel badly about it”, then it’s time to reconsider their presence in your life. Let no one make you feel ashamed of your priorities.
If it’s too much to handle, please know you’re not alone. Talk to a friend, family member, or therapist about your lingering guilt. Stay confident, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad for yourself.
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