Emotional baggage is a strange hodge-podge of leftover memories, thoughts, and emotions which drag you down and make it difficult to focus on living a positive life in the present. For example, if you had a terrible experience in your first job, you might find that decades later you still carry emotional baggage in the form of unfounded fears that your supervisor will criticize you, or a tendency to beat yourself up over every mistake you make, no matter how minor. When emotional baggage gets particularly heavy, you may find yourself struggling with depression, anxiety, or both, so being able to set those negative thoughts down instead of carrying them around is a powerful form of self help.

The first thing you need to do if you’re looking to let go of emotional baggage is to identify the negative thoughts, patterns, and experiences which are dragging you down. Put them in writing, and take some time to think about where they come from. For example, is your reluctance to try anything new linked to being pushed too quickly into a frightening new experience as a child?

Next, reflect on the past experiences you’ve listed, identify how they are affecting your present, and consider what lessons you can apply to your future. For example, if you know that your reluctance to try new things is holding you back, think about what your younger self needed in order to make new experiences positive. Did you feel better if you were allowed to adjust to a new situation slowly? Was it helpful to share new things with a supportive friend? How can the lessons from your past make things better in the future?

Finally, once you’ve learnt whatever lessons are available from your past bad experiences, it’s time to let the experiences themselves go. You don’t need to make yourself anxious by reliving negative memories, or judging yourself for past mistakes. You need to put those burdens down, and train yourself to look joyfully forwards.

Of course, tackling emotional baggage isn’t easy, and you may find that you need help to complete the process successfully. Ilona Nichterlein is an expert in anxiety management, and can support you through the process of letting your emotional baggage go once and for all. Call her on 0411 046 175 to book an appointment or for more information on the powerful emotional healing technique known as ‘The Emotion Code.’