Like most emotions, guilt which is usually situational has both a good and a not so good impact in our lives. Healthy guilt helps redirect us and offers us an opportunity to grow and repair. Unhealthy guilt can be overwhelming and disastrous both for the Self and for your relationships.

Here are signs that you are experiencing unhealthy guilt:

• You worry more about others’ feelings than your own
• You have trouble saying ‘yes’ to yourself (therefore trouble saying ‘no’ at times to others)
• You live in a world of "should, ought to and never" -- using these words to harshly criticize yourself
• You overreact to minor things
• Your thoughts focus on the negative of the situation and get stuck there
• You overcompensate for your actions (or lack thereof) in other areas

Using healthy guilt as a map to help you navigate your path and learn life lessons is a more beneficial use of what is often a very intense emotion.