Forgiveness As A Nervous System Reset

About Our GuestChrista Skinner is no stranger to life’s unexpected turns. She met her ex-husband when they were just 12 years old, fell in love as teenagers, and spent over three decades building a life together. After 22 years of marriage and raising three daughters, she found herself facing divorce. The process left her depleted for years, but through it, she discovered something powerful: there is life after divorce, and it can be even more fulfilling than before.Now a certified health and life coach and accredited divorce coach trained by the world’s leading expert Sarah Davison, Christa is a member of the International Divorce Coach Center of Excellence (IDCCOE) and is currently completing her Masters Practitioner certification in domestic violence. She is also a co-author of the upcoming book Emotional Alchemy. Her mission is to create a sense of balance and peace for women before, during, or after divorce.What Forgiveness Actually IsForgiveness might be the most misunderstood concept in healing. It’s not about excusing what happened or letting anyone off the hook. Forgiveness is what you do for your nervous system.When you forgive yourself, you’re telling your nervous system that the danger is over. Your brain has been rehearsing the past, looping through what went wrong, where you failed. That rumination keeps you stuck in survival mode. Self-forgiveness allows the rumination to subside so your voice can return, not as a reaction, but as authorship of what comes next.The Two Layers of ForgivenessChrista reminded us that forgiveness has two layers: forgiving yourself for the choices you made, the things you didn’t see coming, the ways you stayed longer than you should have. And forgiving others who hurt you. Both matter. Both free you.For women who’ve spent decades directing love outward, forgiveness requires turning that same compassion inward. Christa spoke honestly about how she forgot what it meant to love herself. Put your oxygen mask on first. When you practice self-forgiveness, you’re showing the next generation that mistakes don’t define you, that healing is possible, that choosing yourself matters.Forgiveness Sets You FreeAs Christa said, forgiveness is the most important step of healing. Not because it erases what happened, but because it frees you to step into what’s next.What patterns are you still rehearsing? What would it feel like if forgiveness gave your nervous system permission to finally rest?You can learn more about Christa’s work at ChristaSkinnerCoaching.com.