Why is letting go a must for your overall mental health? Because you cannot be healthy and whole and move forward if you’re holding onto negativity in your life. If you don’t let go of past negative events, they may invade your psyche and throw you off balance.

How do negative experiences lead to failed relationships? When you bottle up unfortunate events, this makes it difficult for you to communicate effectively. The result? Depression, anxiety, constant stress or a bad attitude.

So how do you let bygones be bygones? First, acknowledge the negative event and permit yourself to show emotion about it. Finally, discuss the experience with a loved one or a mental health professional. And while talk therapy is good, for extremely negative situations, people may also need meds to help.