Learning how to apologise & admit when you’re wrong

Conflict and friction happen frequently between people, among friends and family. It's inevitable, especially when disagreements happen and negative emotions explode after bottling up inside too much. Nasty words start to fly across the room, hurting one another immensely. It becomes really hard to apologise after all those tensions and unintentional mentions of past mistakes start to appear and make the mood heavier. 

If you missed the chance to apologise then, regrets may start to form. You may find yourself tossing around in bed and mulling over the fact that you should have probably apologised sooner and admitted you were wrong in the first place. It's normal to hold our ego too high at times and wait for the other party to forget about what happened…but is this how we grow as a person, and how do we start to make that change?

Learn to respect space, but don’t delay the problem

Always remember to give yourself and the other party space to breathe and process one another's thoughts without pushing the blame on each other immediately. It's advisable to not delay the problem too long and talk it out properly when both sides have calmed down. When you drag on the problem for too long, it can cause a lot of misunderstanding and overthinking on both ends, without either party properly conveying our feelings about the situation. Propose and agree on a specific time and date to sit down and have a talk.

Understand that it is okay to make mistakes

Even if you're at a workplace, encountering difficult customers and adjusting to a new environment an be tough. It is okay to admit that you made a mistake – you will continuously get better as you learn from it. Even if your colleagues do find that you're slow in learning and you can't keep up…take it at your own pace and bounce back. Remember to always be yourself and think less of what others feel about you. It makes you happier! After all, learning how to apologise is also a form of self-love. 

Learn to drop your ego

Dropping your pride to admit you're wrong and genuinely sorry takes vulnerability, sincerity, and self-awareness. Not everyone is able to do that, and most people wait for the other person to do it first! By being the bigger person and apologising first, it also shows that you really care about the relationship you have with others and shows that you're willing to improve in the future! 

Sure, it can be difficult, but it shows how courageous you are as a person and helps you mature in different stages of your life - whether you're a child, teen or an adult, it's equally important to hold on to this honesty which speaks a lot about your personality. It makes you stronger and wiser as you grow and handle life more steadily than before!

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Why self-forgiveness is so important in your mental health journey