‘I’ve worked really, really hard’: Alia Bhatt on embracing her past with ‘no regrets’; expert on how reframing mistakes can fuel personal growth

She went on to add the importance of doing your best at work, stating, “Hard work is a given in any field. So, I definitely feel that none of this was achievable without blood, sweat, and tears… and sleepless nights that I have endured. But every moment was worth it.”

So, is it healthy to have no regrets at all, or does acknowledging them play a role in personal growth?

Sonal Khangarot, licensed rehabilitation counsellor and psychotherapist, The Answer Room, tells indianexpress.com, “There are various angles to look at this question from. On one end, it showcases the art of acceptance, which is something almost everyone struggles with. We believe that we have to be perfect, and progress would just not do — hashtag hustle culture, deregulated nervous system, increase in burnout and emotional fatigue.” 

 

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So, she adds that for someone to say they do not have regrets, it means they have done enough self-work to notice “that our present is something that we have some amount of conscious control over, and past and future are more uncontrollable.”

From another angle, Khangarot states, this could look at a shutting down pattern or numbing down oneself by overcompensating for the wrong one has done in life, which I don’t feel is the case here, but can be a way of looking at the question. Ultimately, the balance lies in acceptance without avoidance.

How can people shift from dwelling on past mistakes to accepting them as part of their life journey?

“Shifting from dwelling on past mistakes to accepting them as part of one’s life journey begins with self-awareness, recognising thought patterns, emotional triggers, and the meaning we attach to past events,” says Khangarot. Self-work involves practices like cognitive restructuring to challenge self-blame, mindfulness to stay present, and self-compassion to replace harsh inner criticism with understanding. 

Khangarot concludes, “Psychologically, parameters such as resilience, emotional regulation, and secure self-esteem play a key role. Working with a mental health professional can provide structured guidance, trauma processing, and tools to reframe past experiences, enabling individuals to see mistakes as stepping stones rather than roadblocks in their personal growth journey.”