Forgiving is good for your health

Anger and stress are known to be linked to ill health, playing a role in conditions like heart disease and depression. There’s an increasing interest in forgiveness therapy where people are taught to let go of grudges and resentments - in short, becoming less angry with yourself and the world.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have carried out a survey on forgiveness and health. They looked at four aspects of forgiveness: forgiving yourself for mistakes, forgiving those who have hurt you, feeling that God forgives you and actually seeking forgiveness from others. They found an especially striking relationship between forgiving others and better mental and physical health, especially in people over 45. Surprisingly, perhaps, those who sought forgiveness from others had poorer mental health - perhaps because they were experiencing guilt and stress.

The researchers believe that forgiveness is, in many ways, the reverse of anger and certainly has a healing effect. The message is clear - do try not to bear a grudge, because it really is bad for your health.

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