Do you constantly feel guilty about the smallest thing? Is guilt a never ending background noise to the soundtrack of your life? You’re not alone.

On one hand, guilt can lead to positive changes in your life. Feeling guilty about hitting the snooze button may inspire you to seek better sleep hygiene. On the other hand, if you constantly feel guilty over things you have no control over, you may find yourself stressed, anxious and angry. If guilt isn't managed in a healthy way it can lead to mental health challenges.

If you berate yourself for not doing things the “right” way, the resulting anxiety can cause bigger problems.

Guilt is a weight that will crush you if you deserve it or not. ~Maureen Johnson

Guilt can linger and become a bad habit, if we’re not careful. Living racked by guilt takes the joy out of life. Instead of letting guilt become overwhelming, follow these steps to live guilt free.

Manage Your Guilt

• Acknowledge and Accept Your Feelings: Recognize guilt, as ignoring it may intensify the emotion.
• Adjust Your Expectations: You will disappoint people in your life. You won’t get every item checked off your to do list. Acknowledge you’re doing the best you can. Focus on what you do and not what you didn’t do. Someone else’s disappointment is not about you. It’s about them.
• Redirect: When you feel guilty, redirect those feelings into taking definitive action. Allow yourself to make peace with the fact you can’t please everyone all the time. Focus on your wants and needs and not disappointing yourself.Set Boundaries: Recognize you can only control yourself and your actions. You can’t control someone else’s reactions.
• Seek Support: Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional to help process your emotions.
• Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you would a friend. Reframe negative self-talk and avoid harsh, judgmental thoughts about yourself.
• Journaling and Mindfulness: Write down your feelings to process them. Use mindfulness techniques to stay present and reduce rumination on past mistakes.
• Learn and Grow: Guilt can teach you how to act and respond differently. Use what you learn to improve future actions, instead of dwelling on the past.
• When Guilt is Unproductive: If the guilt is over something you cannot control or is out of proportion to the situation, focus on accepting the situation and releasing the need for perfection.
• Take Responsibility: If you have harmed someone with your words or actions, offer a sincere apology and do what you can to repair the relationship.

Guilt is heavy. If you find yourself struggling with guilt see a professional. Unchecked, guilt can lead to risky behaviors such as drinking too much or shopping for the endorphins. When you let go of what doesn’t serve you (guilt) you make room in your life for what does.