Picture this: You’ve met someone new and exciting! Your conversations have been fire – smooth like a Cadillac.

At first, both of you were thrilled to spend more time together. After getting comfortable in their presence, you ended up in bed – NAKED!

But then, something f*cked up happens afterward. Their treatment of you changes in one way or another.

They distance themselves from you, start treating you with less respect, start acting like they’ve lost interest, or they simply ghost you altogether.

That dreadful feeling consuming you? It’s called regret.

Deep down, you might be angry at yourself for going all the way with someone who betrayed your trust.

You might even feel ashamed for sharing your body with someone who clearly didn’t deserve it.

Those excited butterflies in your stomach have disappeared. It feels like they’ve been slaughtered.

The truth is… experiences like this happen to the best of us if you’re a sexually active adult. In these heart-wrenching moments, you might feel stupid and wish you hadn’t done it.

However, what is done is done.

You can’t change the hands of time. Healing from the pain is what really matters now. Here’s how you can do that.

Acknowledge what happened 

To start… You need to acknowledge what happened. You made a decision to have sex with a new partner.

It was consensual. Yes, you realized later on that it was an avoidable mistake. But that’s what makes you human. Mistakes. 

Staying in denial about what you did will only prolong the healing process.

Forgive Yourself

The mistakes have been made. There’s no going back. Now it’s time to forgive yourself. Forgiving yourself helps you come to terms with the reality of things.

You’re able to admit you made a mistake and regret it and that you’ll forgive yourself because it was a mistake. And mistakes are forgivable. And you forgive yourself like you mean it.

Accept what has happened

No amount of mental bargaining will change the reality of what just happened. Despite the fact that you wish it never happened in the first place, there is no way to go back in time.

Science hasn’t cracked the code on time travel just yet! Come to terms with that. Accept the reality of your current circumstances. This will make it easier for you to move forward.

Focus on the present and the future

The past is already in your rearview. Turning back and reflecting on what happened every single time affects you mentally and you don’t want that.

Rather, keep your mind focused on the present and use it to plan for the future. Learn from your mistakes and let them guide your next big decision in your future relationships.