National Let It Go Day
Stop wasting energy on negativity and grudges, and start letting things go to make more room for the positive sides of life. Practice mindfulness and be forgiving.
Position your wellness, mental health, or self-help brand as a partner in emotional release and personal transformation through mindfulness and forgiveness messaging.
- Share customer stories of overcoming regret and finding peace through your product/service
- Create a 'letting go' ritual guide tied to your brand's wellness philosophy
- Partner with mental health influencers to discuss forgiveness and emotional resilience on the 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.
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. National Let It Go Day Timelinec. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.