Have you ever made a choice that you later regretted? You are not alone. Most of us know that feeling of emptiness mixed with a mixture of anger. The mind begins to run through alternative scenarios where you did things differently and things ended up better.

Although many of these regrets are small and quickly forgotten—like that inappropriate comment on social media—there are some regrets that linger. They become key points that lead you to imagine a better story for your life.

What prompts repentance?

There are several factors that increase the likelihood that a decision will lead to regret. Long-term regret is more common in cases where we do not act ; so when we decide not to do something - for example, that overseas job we didn't accept or the person we didn't dare ask on a date. This kind of regret is fueled by our imagination, which compares the real world to the best possible version of it. You never know how it would have ended, but your mind can easily create an ideal scenario.

Some decisions are taken hastily , without consulting others or thinking about the possible consequences. When these decisions go wrong, it's easier to feel regret thinking about how easily you could have done things differently.

Regrets often come as a result of decisions that take you away from the ideal version of yourself. The person you want to be is rooted in your values, which reflect the things that matter to you. Some people value power, others compatibility or security. Whatever it is, decisions that violate these values ??expose you to the risk of regret.

The most lasting regrets are related to social relationships . Humans have a biological need for belonging, and decisions that threaten this sense of belonging are particularly dangerous. To avoid regret, it's important to take care of yourself, make decisions that match your personal rules and values. Even if things go wrong, you'll know why the decision made sense to you at the time.