We’ve all heard, “forgive and forget.” But sometimes it’s not an easy thing to do. But holding on to a grudge can place stress on our bodies and minds. Forgiving doesn’t that you have to forget about what happened; it means thinking about the situation in a way that reduces the stress. One way to do this is to use a strategy called REACH developed by Dr. Everett Worthington.

Recall- the facts of the situation in a way that is as objective as possible.
Empathize- Try to understand the situation from the person who hurt you point of view. Altruistic gift of forgiveness- means giving forgiveness with no expectations of something in return.
Commit to forgive publicly. Write a letter of forgiveness to the person who hurt you.
Hold onto forgiveness- don't forget what happened but have the memory with an ending that forgives.

This may sound like an impossible task;but research has demonstrated that people who are able to use this process have less anger, less stress, a more positive outlook on life, better health and are better able to forgive.