Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychology, was obsessed with guilt. In his psychological framework, the painful emotion (a tension between the super-ego, or conscience, and the acting ego) played a critical role in the development of depression -- and it was as a major roadblock in the pursuit of happiness.


"The price we pay for our advance in civilization is a loss of happiness through the heightening of the sense of guilt," Freud wrote in his 1930 sociological masterpiece, Civilization and its Discontents, arguing that modern societies reinforce our sense of internal-stemming guilt.


While our modern understanding of human behavior has moved beyond many elements of the Freudian psychological framework, his analysis of guilt remains significant, and has been supported by some recent research[1] .


Anyone who's experienced guilt -- which is to say, everyone -- knows that it can cause a great deal of suffering, and can easily keep you from enjoying your life. Without question, guilt can be useful and essential; it can prompt us to evaluate our thoughts and actions, and function as a moral checks-and-balances system. But when guilt takes over, any misstep can become a catalyst for self-doubt, shame, and even depression.


Here are six things you should know about guilt -- and how to keep it from controlling your life.


It can (literally) weigh you down.


According to new research[2] from University of Waterloo and Princeton University, a heightened sense of guilt can actually correspond with feelings of increased weight. The researchers wanted to see if there was any truth to the popular notions of "carrying guilt" and of guilt "weighing" on one's conscience. And what they found was fascinating.


"We found that recalling personal unethical acts led participants to report increased subjective body weight as compared to recalling ethical acts, unethical acts of others or no recall," Princeton researcher Martin Day said in a statement[3] . "We also found that this increased sense of weight was related to participants' heightened feelings of guilt, and not other negative emotions, such as sadness or disgust."


It contributes to depression.


A 2012 brain scanning study[4] found that those who are or have been depressed have a heightened guilt response. For those who have suffered from depression, feeling guilt is less associated with a knowledge of socially acceptable behavior than it is for non-depressed individuals -- meaning that those who are depressed may engage in excessive self-blame in a way that is not solution-oriented.


“The scans revealed that the people with a history of depression did not ‘couple’ the brain regions associated with guilt and knowledge of appropriate behavior together as strongly as the never depressed control group do,” the University of Manchester's Roland Zahn said[5] . "This could reflect a lack of access to details about what exactly was inappropriate about their behavior when feeling guilty, thereby extending guilt to things they are not responsible for and feeling guilty for everything.”


It might be the reason you're procrastinating.


Many studies have found[6] that guilt is a key factor in procrastination. We feel bad about something we've done, and so we hesitate to start a new task, perhaps for fear of making another error. And in turn, procrastinating causes us to feel guilty, which often undermines the good feeling we may have gotten from avoiding the task in the first place.


Need to finally get something done? Research has found that by forgiving yourself for procrastinating, you can actually prevent future procrastination[7] .


Women really are more prone to guilt.


Research supports the cultural stereotype of women as the more guilt-prone sex. A 2010 Spanish study[8] found that women experience guilt more frequently and more intensely than men, and also score higher on measures of interpersonal sensitivity than men. The difference in guilt levels between men and women in the 40-50-year-old age group was particularly stark. The researchers noted that lack of interpersonal sensitivity could be a central contributing factor to low levels of guilt among men.


It's not a very good motivator.


Many psychologists believe guilt can prompt us to self-correct after doing something wrong -- or thinking we've done something wrong -- whether it's eating one too many slices of cake or canceling plans with a friend at the last minute. Modest amounts of guilt have been shown[9] deter bad behavior. But runaway guilt can actually keep you stuck in patterns of bad behavior -- studies have shown [10] that guilt can dip into (and deplete) our reserves of willpower.


"Feeling guilty is a cop-out. You feel guilty so you don't have to take responsibility," Cara Paiuk wrote in a Huffington Post blog[11] . "Instead of actually taking action and fixing the situation, you choose to just feel 'guilty' about it. It appears as "Shoulda coulda woulda," but the point is, you didn't. Instead of moving on, guilt lets you live in the past and avoid the present."


So next time you get caught in a guilt spiral, remember: it may not be the most effective way to motivate you to lose those last five pounds, become a better mother, or accomplish any other goal that's important to you.


It's not the same as shame -- but the two feelings are intertwined.


While shame relates to the self, guilt has more to do with others, according to psychologist Joseph Burgo. Guilt generally involves feeling bad about a particular wrong action and the way it may have affected others, while shame is the painful feeling that there is something wrong or bad about who you are.


"The difference between shame and guilt is the difference between 'I am bad' and 'I did something bad,'" "Daring Greatly" author Brene Brown told Oprah[12] , explaining that shame is the more harmful emotion.


But the two feelings often go hand in hand, and what they do have in common is that they keep us stuck in the past, ruminating about our wrongdoings and perceived shortcomings. And in excess, neither gets us closer to truly coming to terms with the things we've done wrong or changing the parts of ourselves that we're uncomfortable with.



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  • Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)


    If you only do one yoga pose after a long day at work, make it a downward-facing dog, a holistic pose that stretches and strengthens many parts of the body. To come into the pose, move into an inverted "V' shape. With hands outstretched in front and you, lift the hips and ground the feet (at about hips-width apart) into the floor. Ground all the fingers into the floor and point them forward, bring your attention to the breath as you enjoy the stretch for 30-60 seconds. "It helps you lengthen and strengthen muscles in the body," Bielkus says. "It reduces tension in the shoulders, relaxes the neck, and lets a little more blood flow get to the brain. You're also able to really stretch the legs, so if you're sitting all day, the legs are getting inactive." The pose is also great for stretching out the wrists and hands, which may become sore or tired from hours of typing.




  • Mountain Pose (Tadasana)


    Counter a long day of contracting the back with this powerful back and chest-opening posture. Come to a comfortable standing position with feet hips-width apart, bring your hands up over your head with palms facing forward and thumbs hooked as you bend gently backwards and breathe deeply. "This is a powerful pose to free up tight chest muscles," Bielkus says.




  • Fish Pose (Matsyasana)


    Fish pose is an excellent tension reducer, and can also be therapeutic for fatigue and anxiety, <a href="http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/786" target="_blank">according to Yoga Journal</a>. To come into the pose, sit up on your hips with legs stretched out together in front of you and toes pointed. Bring your hands under your hips and lean back to prop yourself up on your forearms. Then, lift the chest above the shoulders and drop the head back to the ground behind you. Breathe deeply and rest in the pose for 15-30 seconds. Fish pose "releases tension in the neck, throat, and head, helps stretch the chest muscles and opens up the lungs," Bielkus says.




  • Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)


    A forward bend provides a soothing feeling of release -- making the pose <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/yoga-for-anxiety-10-poses_n_3281986.html" target="_blank">therapeutic for stress and anxiety</a> -- and with the added arm bind, this standing forward bend variation provides a deep shoulder stretch as well. Stand with your feet at hips-width distance, and slowly bend forward from the hips to come into the forward bend. To take the strain off the lower back, bend the knees slightly. Then, try adding an arm bind to stretch the shoulders: Interlace your hands at the lower back and stretch the arms over your head and hands towards the ground in front of you. For those with tight shoulders, hold a belt between your hands, allowing the shoulders to get a deep but less intense stretch. "By binding the hands, you also allow the arms to stretch and tight shoulders to relax," Bielkus says. "After sitting all day, it's a great idea to turn your world upside down and bring some blood back to the brain while getting a great stretch for the legs."




  • Cat & Cow Pose (Marjaryasana & Bitilasana)


    Cat-cow tilts can be an effective <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/yoga-for-headaches_n_3574848.html" target="_blank">headache reliever</a>, in addition to opening up the back and stretching the spine. Start with hands and knees on the floor in a tabletop position with a neutral spine. On the inhale, round the spine and curve up into your cat pose (pictured above). On the exhale, arch the back and lift the chest to come into a cow pose. Repeat three to five times, focusing on the breath. "It also helps bring the neck back into the position over the spine -- people tend to protrude it forward, and this pose brings the vertebrae back to homeostasis," Bielkus says.




  • Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)


    This pose helps to open the hips and ease sciatica discomfort that can be made worse by sitting for long periods. Sit up tall with the soles of the feet touching and knees spreading open, bringing the feet in toward the pelvis and clasping your hands around your feet. Flap the knees up and down several times like butterfly wings, then sit still and focus the weight of the hips and thighs into the floor, easing pain in the sciatic nerve. "The sciatic nerve starts in the lower back and runs down both leg, and sciatic nerve pain can occur when the nerve is somehow compressed," Bielkus says. "Long commutes and sitting for long periods of time exacerbates it."




  • Slow Neck Stretches


    To counter neck discomfort from staring down at a keyboard or phone, Bielkus recommends a few repetitions of yogic slow neck stretches. Sitting in a cross-legged pose, lean the head to the right and extend the left arm and hand toward the ground until you feel a deep stretch on the left side of the neck. Breathe deeply and hold for a few breath cycles, repeating on the other side. You can also try standing in Mountain Pose and stretching the neck to one side, gently pulling with the same hand. "This can also easily be done standing anywhere, even in a cubicle," she says. "It eases neck tension and strain."




  • Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)


    "This pose is an accessible back bend for most people," Bielkus says. "It lengthens the spine, opens up the chest and counteracts sitting hunched over all day." Lying on the floor, put your hands on the ground slightly in front of you and tuck the elbows into the chest. Push up into your hands, lifting into a slight backbend and drawing the shoulders down. Turn your gaze upwards, and try not to take any tension into the face or jaw.




  • Half Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)


    The hips can get tight from long hours of sitting. To improve flexibility and range of motion in the hips, and open up the chest and shoulders, try a half pigeon pose. Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position, sliding the right knee forward and left leg back, as pictured above, trying to bend the front leg at a 90-degree angle. Sit up tall, and on the exhale, hinge the chest forward and bring the arms out in front of you to feel a deep stretch. "A half pigeon is great for opening up the hips," Bielkus says. If you're particularly tight in the hips, try rolling up a blanket under the hips and sitting upright, and then gently hinging forward.




  • Child's Pose (Balasana)


    "Child's pose helps us turn inside and slow our minds down," Virayoga founder Elena Brower recently <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/yoga-for-anxiety-10-poses_n_3281986.html#slide=2455747" target="_blank">told The Huffington Post</a>. The foundational resting pose in many yoga classes, the soothing Child's Pose can help put the mind at ease while also gently opening up the back, hips and shoulders, according to Bielkus. Sit down with your legs folded beneath you, toes touching and knees spread apart from each other. Drape your chest down between your thighs, bringing your forehead to the floor and either extending the arms out in front of you or resting them by your sides. Breathe deeply and rest in the pose for as long as desired.




  • Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)


    "This pose opens the hips and groins and is very calming for the mind and body," Bielkus says. Happy Baby Pose is accessible even for beginners, but still provides an excellent stretch for the hip joints, which can get stiff from too much sitting. Lie down on your back, draw the knees into your chest and grab your feet from the inside, pulling them down so the knees extend on either side of your torso. If the stretch is too intense, grab behind your thighs. Try to bring the hips down to the floor. Breathe deeply and rock gently side to side, returning to stillness at your center for 30 seconds.




  • Sitali Breathing


    This cooling breath is the perfect antidote to a long, stressful day. "It releases tension in body and mind, and helps us relieve stress and anger and brings us to a more balanced and clear state," she says. To perform this refreshing pranayama exercise, sit in a chair or on the floor in an easy crossed-legged position with your eyes closed. Stick your tongue out and curl up its outer edges. (If you're having trouble tongue curling, try your best and form a slight “O” with the mouth). Inhale through the mouth, letting the air pass over the tongue, feeling a cool breath, and then exhale through your nose. "Continue long rhythmic breathing for three minutes," Bielkus says. "You'll feel totally refreshed!"