Making the decision to forgive someone who hurt you isn’t always easy. As much as you might like to move on, letting go of such powerful emotions can be a challenge – especially if you still feel a lot of resentment towards the person who has wronged you.

However, while you shouldn’t feel as if you owe it to someone to forgive them, taking the time to forgive someone can actually be beneficial to you, too. In fact, studies have shown that being a forgiving person can lead to a whole host of benefits including healthier relationships, lowered blood pressure and better heart health.

Indeed, as Megan Feldman-Bettencourt, journalist and author of the book Triumph Of The Heart: Forgiveness In An Unforgiving World, previously told Stylist: “When you hold a grudge, every time you think about that person or the situation, your brain is flooded with stress chemicals like adrenaline and norepinephrine. Over time, those chemicals put you at risk of depression and anxiety, and they inhibit your frontal lobe’s ability to solve problems.”

How to forgive: struggling to move on from a hurtful situation? Try this