National Let It Go Day

I don’t really have any regrets because if I choose not to do something there is usually a very good reason. Once I’ve made the decision I don’t view it as a missed opportunity, just a different path.
Andrew Lincoln

Everyone has probably experienced those different sets of nagging regrets and grudges that tug at their souls for weeks, months or even years.

It doesn’t even matter how much time has passed after the people, jobs or situations which once made them important ceased to be part of their life. It can still be so very hard to let go of these things.

Sure, there may have been a time in life when it felt important to take every opportunity to demonstrate to that ex, former workmate or classmate how well things were going without them.

But isn’t it finally time to move on and let go of all of those negative emotions that tend to drag everything down?

That is exactly what National Let It Go Day is all about! A national day when people all over the world can be intentional about taking the brave step to cast away all those hang-ups from a previous chapter in life and start fresh.

It’s time to celebrate National Let It Go Day!

c. 5th century BCE
Buddha Teaches Non‑Attachment
Early Buddhist texts emphasize letting go of craving, clinging, and resentment as a path to end suffering, laying a foundation for later ideas about releasing grudges and painful thoughts.
1st century CE
Early Christian Teachings on Forgiveness
New Testament writings urge believers to forgive others and “get rid of all bitterness,” framing forgiveness and letting go of resentment as central to spiritual and relational health.
Medieval to Early Modern Era
Yom Kippur and Rituals of Letting Go
Jewish practice around Yom Kippur develops into a yearly cycle of confession, seeking forgiveness, and moving forward, institutionalizing communal reflection and release of past wrongs.
1950s–1960s
Psychology Begins Studying Forgiveness
Psychologists such as Heider and Emerson start examining forgiveness and its links to mental health, marking a shift from viewing forgiveness as purely religious to a subject of scientific study.
1960s–1970s
Birth of Cognitive Therapy
Aaron T. Beck formulates cognitive therapy, showing how recurring negative thoughts and rumination fuel depression and anxiety, and introducing techniques to reframe and release unhelpful thinking.
1990s–2000s
Clinical Research on Forgiveness and Health
Large empirical studies demonstrate that forgiving and letting go of grudges are associated with less anger, anxiety, and depression, and with greater self‑esteem and hope for the future.
2014
“Let It Go” Popularizes a Language of Release
The Disney film Frozen and its song “Let It Go” turn the phrase into a global cultural shorthand for dropping shame, fear, and others’ expectations, reinforcing public conversations about emotional letting go.

How To Celebrate National Let It Go Day

National Let It Go Day is the perfect occasion to stop wasting so much energy on negative feelings from the past and instead focus on building a positive future.

Consider these (serious and silly) ways to enjoy this day and foster personal freedom:

Set Intention with a Letting Go Practice

Write down a list of the things that are regrettable, and spend some time letting them go. To do this, simply work on trying to relax and let that guilt and fear vanish from the moment and, eventually from the whole of life.

One example of a way to symbolize this is by throwing that list into a fire to watch them burn. Let the smoke and embers carry those worries to the sky and wind, where they’ll be erased.

Consider these other aspects of life that might prove beneficial by letting go of them: fear, holding grudges, guilt, regrets, the past, excuses and toxic people who just make life miserable.

Set an intention to release these things from life and then practice it. Little by little, they will fly away and life will be much lighter, happier and more resilient without them.

Watch The Film Frozen

Sure, it’s a children’s Disney animated film, but the application is still true and the song sung by one of the main characters rings out: “Let it go! Let it go….!”

The main character, Elsa, is trying to let go of the inhibitions she has faced in secret that have isolated her for years. The song is about Elsa finding freedom to stop holding herself up to someone else’s standards.

Many groups in society have identified with Elsa’s plight, including people with disabilities, eating disorders, chemical additions, autism and even those in prison.

These folks have found hope through the idea that this character was fighting to overcome a struggle and the shame associated with it. Maybe this is the perfect film to watch, alone or with friends, and be inspired by on Let it Go Day!

Hang Some Inspiring ‘Let It Go’ Decor

Sometimes people need little reminders in their daily lives to keep them moving in the right direction. While National Let It Go Day is a great start, it’s only the beginning of practicing a lifestyle and a mindset of being empowered and unashamed.

Since these things can be easily forgotten, go ahead and use National Let It Go Day to create some reminders that will move forward throughout the other days of the year.

Whether it’s something as simple as hanging a poster of Disney’s Elsa singing the song, or painting a canvas filled with inspirational ideas, use this day to set a reminder.

Try these ideas for future reminders to Let It Go:

Pop a new screen saver or wallpaper onto that smartphone, tablet or laptop. Choose one with an inspirational quote that is a reminder of what’s important about letting go of all that is unhealthy or unproductive.
Create a collage using magazine pictures and words that help act as a sort of art therapy for walking through the past and moving on in the future.
Make a playlist that contains songs centered around the idea of letting it go, then listen to it when feeling down or discouraged.

History of National Let It Go Day

Regrets are not particularly useful to anyone. They tend to weigh on people’s consciences and leave them with a deficit of joy, often at a time when those who have been wronged have long since forgotten them.

Even if the other person hasn’t offered forgiveness, it is an important step toward healing for people to learn to forgive themselves. This helps with the process of moving forward without guilt or bitterness and allows people to endeavor to live a better life in the future.

National Let It Go Day is one of a bevy of holidays created by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays & Herbs.

They knew the difficulty of living with a pocketful of regrets that can haunt a person during every quiet hour, and knew that letting them go was the only way to find peace and contentment in their own lives.

So it was for this reason that National Let It Go Day was created, with the intention of encouraging others throughout the world to also let go of their regrets and forgive themselves for actions taken in the past.

Facts About National Let It Go Day

Lingering On Stress Can Harm Physical Health Years Later

Long after a stressful event has passed, clinging to the bad feelings can take a measurable toll on the body.

A large U.S. study following adults over about a decade found that people whose negative moods “lingered” the day after minor daily stressors were more likely to develop chronic health conditions, have functional limitations, and rate their overall health as poorer 10 years later, even when the number of stressors they faced was taken into account.

Holding Grudges Triggers Stronger Stress Reactions Than Forgiving

Laboratory experiments have asked people to dwell on real-life grudges or imagine forgiving those same offenses while researchers monitor physiology.

When participants rehearsed hurts and fantasized about revenge, their heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance rose higher and stayed elevated compared to when they pictured forgiving the offender, suggesting that “holding on” keeps the body in a more stressed state.

Chronic Anger Is Linked To Higher Risk Of Heart Disease

Grudges often go hand in hand with chronic anger and hostility, which cardiology research treats as serious risk factors.

A meta-analysis of prospective studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that people with higher levels of anger and hostility had a significantly increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and of poor outcomes if they already had heart disease.

Rumination Feeds Depression And Prolongs Stress Responses

Psychologists use the term “rumination” for the habit of mentally replaying distressing events without problem solving.

Decades of research show that people who ruminate more are at higher risk for developing depression, staying depressed longer, and experiencing more anxiety.

Reviews of lab studies also find that ruminating after a stressor keeps stress markers like heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol elevated longer than when people distract themselves or reframe the situation.

Forgiveness Is Consistently Tied To Better Mental And Physical Health

Across many studies, people who are more forgiving tend to report less depression and anxiety, fewer physical symptoms, and better overall well-being.

Reviews of forgiveness research describe benefits ranging from improved mood to lower blood pressure and heart rate during conflict-related imagery, suggesting that choosing to release resentment can ease both psychological and physiological strain.

Mindfulness Practices Help People Let Thoughts Go More Easily

Mindfulness-based programs teach people to notice thoughts and feelings and then allow them to pass instead of getting caught in them.

Meta-analyses of randomized trials show that mindfulness meditation programs produce moderate improvements in anxiety, depression, and perceived stress, and some studies report reductions in physiological stress indicators, supporting the idea that learning to “let go” of mental loops is more than just a feel-good slogan.

Regret Hurts Less When People Can Disengage And Reframe Goals

Regret itself is a normal emotion, but when people cannot mentally “move on” from lost opportunities, it can undermine well-being.

Research following adults across the lifespan has found that those who struggle to disengage from unattainable goals and reengage with new ones experience more intense regret and lower life satisfaction, while those who can shift focus report better mood and quality of life even when they have similar reasons for regret.

National Let It Go Day FAQs

Is “letting go” the same as pretending something never happened?

Letting go does not mean erasing the past or denying that something was hurtful.

Mental health researchers describe healthy letting go as acknowledging what happened, feeling the emotions that come with it, and then choosing not to keep reliving or feeding the resentment.

Acceptance of negative thoughts and feelings, rather than suppressing them, is linked with better psychological health and less rumination.

Can holding on to stress, regret, or grudges affect physical health?

Long‑term patterns of dwelling on stress and negative emotions are associated with poorer health.

Studies on daily stress and “lingering” negative mood suggest that when people stay upset long after a stressor, they report more chronic health problems years later, even after accounting for baseline health.

Reviews also link chronic rumination and hostility to higher risks of anxiety, depression, and some physical conditions.

What do psychologists mean by “rumination,” and why is it hard to move on while ruminating?

Rumination is a pattern of repeatedly and passively focusing on distress, its causes, and its consequences without moving toward problem‑solving or acceptance.

This cycle keeps negative memories and feelings active, which can intensify depression and anxiety and make it harder to “let go” of an event.

Research finds that people who are more accepting of their thoughts and emotions tend to ruminate less and have better mental health.

Is forgiving someone necessary in order to let go of what happened?

Forgiveness and letting go often overlap, but they are not identical. Philosophers and psychologists describe forgiveness as a change in attitude toward a person, where anger and resentment are reduced and replaced with more neutral or benevolent feelings.

Letting go can mean releasing the emotional grip of the event on one’s life, even if full reconciliation or moral “forgiveness” is not possible or appropriate.

In some situations, people focus mainly on self‑forgiveness and emotional distance rather than repairing a relationship.

What is self‑forgiveness, and how is it different from excusing bad behavior?

Self‑forgiveness involves acknowledging a wrongdoing, feeling appropriate remorse, and then gradually releasing excessive self‑condemnation while committing to behave differently in the future.

Reviews of the research suggest it can reduce shame and depressive symptoms when it includes taking responsibility and making amends where possible.

Simply minimizing harm or refusing to admit fault is closer to excusing oneself than to genuine self‑forgiveness.

Are there evidence‑based techniques that help people let go of painful experiences?

Several well‑studied approaches support this process. Acceptance‑based therapies teach people to allow difficult thoughts and feelings without getting entangled in them.

Cognitive behavioral therapy helps identify and reframe unhelpful beliefs about past events.

Mindfulness practices reduce rumination by training attention on the present.

Expressive writing, where people write about upsetting experiences for brief sessions over several days, has also been shown to yield small to moderate benefits for both mental and physical health.

Do ideas about forgiveness and “moving on” differ across cultures?

Cross‑cultural research shows that many religious and philosophical traditions value releasing resentment, but they frame it in different ways.

Some emphasize forgiveness as a moral or spiritual duty grounded in obedience to God or in compassion, while others focus on reducing suffering and maintaining social harmony.

Modern psychological discussions, especially in Western countries, tend to describe letting go in terms of mental health, personal growth, and stress reduction rather than primarily as a religious obligation.