For better overall health, let go of the past, advises Brent Bauer director of the Complimentary and Integrative Medicine Program at May Clinic. “It’s amazing how many studies are bearing out the benefits of forgiveness.”

“When we cling to regrets and resentments, we remain stuck in the lower limbic brain, the very basest part. Every time you replay an offense, it’s as if you live it again,” he explains. “For better health, you want to be in the prefrontal cortex, where most of our higher functions take place and where we can choose to cultivate love and compassion.”

Practice forgiveness through ritual or meditation, or simply keep your attention focused on what’s happening right now. “Mindfulness is counterintuitive to resentment,” says Bauer.