We’re all only human. That means we’re prone to making mistakes every once in a while. Nobody is perfect. No one has lived a perfectly pristine life without any error.

If humans were 100% flawless in all our actions, how boring would the world be?

Making mistakes is part of life, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up over any misstep for too long.

Here are a few ways you can make some progress in forgiving yourself – for whatever you’re feeling guilty about.

Come clean, apologize, or do whatever is required to rectify a situation

You know what you did wrong. The fastest way to start feeling better about your mistake is to own up to it.

Address the matter head-on without trying to shift blame toward anyone else. Take accountability for your actions.

If you were caught in a lie, come clean. If someone else was hurt by your actions, apologize. If your mistake can be reversed in any way, try.

Sometimes, mistakes can’t be undone. If the severity of your mistake is something that will permanently impact you for the rest of your life, come to terms with your new reality and learn how to make peace with it.

Write yourself a forgiveness letter

Draft a forgiveness letter to yourself as a way of moving on. In the letter, speak to your heart from your future self.

Lay it all out on the line with honesty and candor. Writing your desire to forgive yourself down on paper will help your brain start processing that notion faster.

Realize the implications of living in a state of guilt and shame

If you’re feeling vibrationally stuck in a state of guilt or shame, you must realize that you’re operating at the bottom of the vibrational chart.

There’s nothing healthy-minded about living this way, and it makes it incredibly hard for you to attract anything positive when you feel so horrible about yourself.

Treat yourself the way you’d treat a loved one

Think about a loved one making a mistake that would hurt your feelings. Do they deserve to be tormented over their slipup for the rest of their life with you?

Give yourself the same level of grace you’d give someone you genuinely care about. If you’re capable of forgiving others, you’re certainly capable of forgiving yourself.

Make it a point to learn from your mistake

The mistake you made is something you probably never want to repeat again. Go out of your way to learn from your mistake so you never repeat the same patterns in the future.

If you’re feeling this badly about whatever you’ve done now, use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Embrace a future for yourself where you’re more thoughtful and intentional with your actions and behaviors.