Life is full of stages. Some are exciting and full of happiness, while others can be challenging or even painful. Regardless of what these cycles are like, they all have a beginning and an end. If you want to close a stage of your life, you must learn to let go, live your grieving process, recognize your pain, and assume your responsibilities to move towards a better destiny.
In this Psychology-Online article, we tell you how to close stages in life. From the end of a relationship, to leaving a job, moving to a new place, or simply leaving a time in our lives behind, we give you strategies and advice to close these stages in a meaningful and hopeful way.
Why is it important to close stages in our lives?
Closing stages is vitally important so that the mind does not get trapped in a loop of situations that will no longer return or that you cannot change. Furthermore, it is a process that reconciles with the present to remember what we already experienced, but without pain and with a focus of hope. Specifically, closing stages in our lives is essential for the following reasons:
- Helps our personal growth: closing stages allows us to move forward and grow as a person. When we close cycles, opportunities and learning in our lives, which allows us to acquire new perspectives, skills and knowledge that help us evolve and develop personally.
- It serves to overcome emotions and traumas: by closing stages we give ourselves the opportunity to heal and overcome any type of pain, trauma or disappointment associated with that stage. It is a process that allows us to process and release negative emotions, forgive, and give a sense of closure and acceptance to what we have experienced.
- Open space for new opportunities: closing cycles frees us from past ties and allows us to be open to new possibilities. By closing a relationship, job or period of our life, we allow ourselves to explore new horizons, relationships and goals. We open space for growth, creativity and the search for new purposes in our lives.
- It is a door to live in the present: the process allows us. By letting go of the past, we free ourselves from unnecessary burdens and focus on the here and now. In this way, we can experience the joy and blessings that the present has to offer us without being stuck in the past. In addition, closing stages in life provides a sense of achievement and helps you move confidently into the future.
Release and let go
It is part of human nature to cling to everything we already know, even if it hurts us or hurts us, because we are very afraid of the unknown. For this reason, one of the first steps to closing stages is to let go of the past. to make room for what is to come.
When we become too attached to something, we develop a kind of emotional dependency that blocks the possibility of living new experiences. It is not about completely detaching ourselves from emotions, since attachment in a fair measure allows us to value what we have. It is rather not allowing that attachment to become pathological so that we can let go of what is already over and make way for what is to come.
Analyze what happened to take stock
To close stages assertively, you need to take stock of what happened, what you leave behind, and what is yet to come. By analyzing what happened during a cycle, you will be able to identify lessons learned and mistakes made. This analysis gives you the opportunity to reflect on your experiences, evaluate what worked and what didn’t, and use that knowledge to grow and improve in the future.
Likewise, this self-analysis allows us to know ourselves better. By evaluating our actions, decisions, and emotional responses over a cycle, we can cunderstand more clearly our strengths, weaknesses and growth areas. This helps to make more informed decisions in future stages.
Learn from mistakes
Although the new may scare you, and you think that mistakes are signs of failure, in reality they are small lessons that build resilience. If you want to close emotional cycles, it is important to learn from mistakes, since help build emotional and mental resilience, well and adapt to changes. This resilience also serves to more effectively face future challenges.
Errors allow us to identify areas in which we need to improve our skills. By reflecting on them, we can evaluate what specific skills we could have applied more effectively and work to develop them in the future. This allows us increase our competence in different areas of our lives so that the new frontiers are paths that we can travel with more confidence.
By closing cycles, mistakes teach us to be humble and recognize our imperfection. Accepting that we can make mistakes empowers us with ourselves and others, and helps us build more authentic and empathetic relationships.
Say goodbye and forgive
When in doubt about how to close emotional cycles, you should know that it is important to say goodbye, but from the bottom of your heart. Treasure the good memories and put aside the moments that made you suffer or tormented you. Then, it gives way to acceptance and forgiveness, which is perhaps the strongest stage to face.
Keep in mind that you cannot change the past, but you have to accept what happened as part of life. This way, you will understand that nothing was your fault and that everything happened for a reason that is beyond your control.
Don’t look for answers, what happened, already happened
Don’t beat yourself up trying to find an answer to what happened! There is not always an explanation for everything what happens. Life is not a math test where you calculate each procedure and it gives you an exact result. To close stages you have to understand that, sometimes, things happen because they have to happen, period. To do this, we recommend you read this article about .
Start new habits
You will never get out of a stage if you stay stuck in memories. You have to take action! To achieve this, set specific goals, find new hobbies, or dedicate time to a hobby that you are passionate about. Don’t continue wasting time regretting the past and set new goals, because life goes on and it won’t stop for you.
Keep in mind that each stage of our life has its moment and purpose, and it is important to recognize when the time has come to close a stage and move on. Let go and close correctly allows us to continue growing and building a life full of meaning and fulfillment. Although letting go of a stage is painful, remember that when one window closes, hundreds of doors will be waiting for you.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Alonso, M. (2019). Closing cycles: How to let go of the past and live in the present. Planeta Editorial.
- Bisquerra, R. (2018). Resilience: Building life after a crisis. Paidós Editorial.
- Echeburúa, E. (2017). How to overcome a grief. Piramide Publishing.