The challenges of the past. Unresolved past experiences can sometimes produce lasting psychological and physiological effects. In such cases, its important to come to terms with how your past is affecting your current outlook or habits. An important first step is to stop trying to pretend you aren't affected by past events. You can't get over the past until you accept it. If something happens that reminds you of a traumatic event or triggers a strong emotional reaction, try to calmly acknowledge to yourself that this is the case. Let yourself feel what you feel about the past. Later steps in this article provide some specific strategies to help with this. For example, if you find yourself in a social situation that triggers powerful emotions about the past, don't try to push them away. Instead, excuse yourself for a moment and step away from the group. Then, take a moment to reflect on the past and how it is affecting you before rejoining the group. The impact of past traumas can be especially strong if you are without a strong social support network. Sometimes, the trauma resulting from past experiences can be so intense that it affects the people you care about.[2] Unresolved past experience can prevent you from building strong relationships with your loved ones. They can also keep you preoccupied with dreams that never came to fruition. This, in turn, can affect your current outlook and habits in ways that make it hard to cope with obstacles in your life.