One of the worst feelings in the world is guilt. Since we can’t go back and change the things we feel bad about, we get a sinking feeling in our gut. This is why it is so important to learn to let go of our guilt and move on with our lives.

Guilt is not always bad. According to Ali Mattu, a psychologist and YouTuber, an important emotion in social relationships is guilt because it is probably related to empathy and keeps us from hurting others and forces us to follow the rules of our society. We learn lessons from doing the things that make us feel guilty, and hopefully we don’t repeat those experiences. Our emotional and social development relies on feelings of guilt, in some ways.

Some guilt, however, is not healthy for us. Dr. Mattu says that if guilt is keeping you from living your life, it can become a problem. If you carry too much guilt, your thoughts become cloudy, you tend to feel unnecessarily distressed, and everyday activities can seem difficult.

The following five steps from Dr. Mattu will help you get rid of your feelings of guilt.

• Understand your guilt

You have to understand your guilt to release it, which means you have to face it, identify the thoughts it causes, and identify what made you feel guilty in the first place. You will typically learn that you feel guilty because of something that you did that you think was wrong.

• Talk to someone about your guilt

According to Mattu, you are likely to get stuck just thinking about what happened if you try to deal with it on your own. This is why it can help to talk to someone else. Talking to someone you trust will give you their perspective on the situation. An important part of the letting go process is talking to someone else—it not only offers your some emotional support but can force you to take responsibility for your actions.

• Be compassionate—toward yourself

Mattu suggests that you will find it easier to be compassionate toward yourself once you have a better perspective of the situation. While you should never make excuses for what you’ve done wrong, there may have been an important reason you did whatever it was. Be sure you look at the entire situation in its full context—what was going on in your life when you were dealing with the thing that is causing your guilt.

Being compassionate towards yourself is a very important part of letting go of your guilt. We all have done things we wish we hadn’t, but when you have a better understanding of why you did them, it makes it easier to forgive yourself. You may find that you deserve some compassion—maybe you had something going on that affected your actions or your feelings.

• Make amends with those involved

It is time to consider making amends if you are struggling with guilt. Making amends could mean apologizing to those involved, sharing your guilt with someone else, confessing to someone what happened, talking through ways to make things better. If confession is in your plans for making amends, make sure you fully confess. If you only tell part of the story, you may still hold onto some of your guilt, and oftentimes you harness feelings of anxiety or shame.

• Seek therapy

If you have done all these things, including understanding your guilt and making amends, and you are still struggling with your feelings of guilt, it may be time to see professional help. Working through your issues with a mental health professional is a good idea, especially if you have a tendency to overreact when it comes to guilt. You may also learn strategies for dealing with future guilty feelings. Cognitive therapy will help you deal with your emotions and thoughts and guide you in a way that allows you to live a life that lines up with your values.

Feelings of guilt can affect every aspect of your life—it’s never a good feeling to get stuck on. You don’t have to get bogged down with those feelings if you learn how to cope and let go.