Writing Prompt: Learning from Regret

Regret can be incredibly painful. We might regret mistakes we made, decisions that didn't turn out the way we wanted, and the things we wanted to do but didn't.

But regret can also teach us about our values and guide us in the future.

This week, write about regret.

🖊📖 Looking back on your life, what are some of your regrets - big and small?
🖊📖 What does the emotion of regret feel like to you? Describe how it feels in your body.
🖊📖 What mistakes have you made along the way? What decisions did you make that didn't turn out the way you wanted?
🖊📖 What do you regret not doing?
🖊📖 What do your regrets teach you about your values and what you care deeply about?
🖊📖 How can past regret guide you in the future?
🖊📖 Tap into your sense of "future regret" - what you think you might regret some day. Write about that. What does "future regret" tell you about what's important to you now?

I’m a clinical psychologist, co-host of Psychologists Off the Clock, and author of the books ACT for Burnout and ACT Daily Journal. You can find me online at drdebbiesorensen.com.