Useful Tips for Getting Rid of Resentment

Useful Tips for Getting Rid of Resentment

Last update: 05 September, 2018

As humans, one of our worst enemies is resentment. This deep feeling doesn’t disappear easily, and it ends up unbalancing the body and mind.

A negative feeling that’s been present in your life for years ends up turning against you and causing serious problems, ranging from anxiety to psychosomatic diseases.

In view of all this, it is good for us to learn to overcome the grudges that make a dent in our minds and hearts. This allows us to move forward.

Importance of personal relationships

Good personal relationships help you to maintain your emotional balance and to be happy with your environment.

Apart from those benefits, sharing and participating in another person’s life, and vice versa, gives you support in times of difficulty.

But even though personal relationships may provide you with many benefits, there may also be conflicts and confrontations that can create caustic feelings and emotions, such as:

  • Pride
  • Anger
  • Resentment
  • Bitterness
  • Grudges
Tips for Eliminating Resentment

The concept of resentment

Resentment is a negative feeling and a heavy burden that affects your physical and emotional health and robs you of your peace of mind. It is a very subtle enemy that keeps you shackled to a situation that offended you or perhaps caused you a lot of pain, humiliation or rejection, causing an emotional wound.

How do people act resentful?

Being a habitually resentful person is a bad idea, because acting this way will only produce loneliness and suffering. In addition, you run the risk of even resenting yourself.

Resentful people have a hard time forgetting the disagreements they had with other people. They need time to be able to understand what happened and determine if they will forgive and forget.

“A negative feeling present for years in your life ends up turning against you.”

12 Useful tips for getting rid of resentment

Resentment is an unhealthy feeling. It can lead to hatred and revenge.

It can even make your entire life revolve around the feeling of resentment, eventually taking up all of your energy. To put an end to this unpleasant situation, practice the following tips:

  • Release this feeling by letting go. Do this by writing your feelings down or talking to someone you trust.
  • You need to realize that this feeling only causes you pain and suffering.
  • Turn the page and do not think about the past any more. Just look forward.
    Useful Tips for Getting Rid of Resentment
  • Be aware that feeling anger this way doesn’t enhance your well-being. Instead, it makes you spend precious time and energy.
  • Learn to accept people’s imperfections. All human beings make mistakes.
  • Try not to take offenses so seriously. Let them go.
  • Accept the reality that everything changes. People can change without us even noticing. Perhaps they no longer correspond to the image you have of them.
  • Talk to the person who offended you. Tell them how you feel and what you think about what happened.
  • Develop humility. It limits resentment and will help you to become aware that you also make mistakes.
  • Try to take the first step to solve the problem. This will be an act of courage on your part, not of defeat.
  • Forget about revenge. It will not end well. Try to find solutions, not to simply punish the guilty person.
  • Sincerely forgiving the other person will help you to stop remembering negative things that make you sad. In addition, you will achieve serenity and inner peace.

In summary, negative feelings such as resentment are like carrying a heavy weight on your back. In the event that you cannot channel them and eliminate them completely, go to a psychologist.

Remember that holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting it to kill the person who offended you.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Jordán, M. E. L., & Medina, M. F. G. (2006). Disciplinar con inteligencia emocional: técnicas para enseñar hábitos y valores en los niños. Ediciones Gamma SA.
  • Ortega Ruiz, P., & Mínguez Vallejos, R. (2003). Familia y transmisión de valores. https://gredos.usal.es/handle/10366/71937

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.