Replaying Old Mistakes

Have you ever caught yourself replaying an old mistake…something you said, didn’t say, or wish you’d done differently? Maybe you think, “I should’ve known better,” or “I can’t believe I acted that way.”

We all do this, and it is one of the ways that we sabotage ourselves and make our week harder than it needs to be.

When you keep replaying a past mistake to “never forget” it, you’re not preventing future pain - you’re prolonging it.

Yep, ouch.

That’s because each replay tells your brain and body that the event is happening again, keeping your stress response active and your self-worth low.

Here’s a line that can change everything:

“I did the best I could with what I knew at the time.”

That’s not an excuse - it’s self-compassion. It’s how you stop the cycle of self-blame that keeps you stuck in regret. When you can meet your past self with understanding instead of judgment, you create the emotional safety to learn, grow, and make new choices. Your nervous system FEELS better and more resilient. You move on, but with the learning.

Why it works: self-compassion lowers cortisol and activates the “tend-and-befriend” response in your nervous system - helping you calm down, think clearly, and move forward.

So this week, when that inner critic pipes up about something from the past, catch it, pause, and say:

“I did the best I could with what I knew at the time. And now I know more.”

That’s how you create a better week…and better days ahead, starting right now.

This week, catch yourself beating yourself up, pause and use this line. Repeat, repeat, repeat. It’s a tool that needs consistent use, but I promise you that it can rewire your brain.

Know someone who could use this tool? Please forward it to them!