We all have people we wish we could surgically remove from our minds. Someone who hurt you. A former friend, a past partner, a difficult family member. You want to stop thinking about them. You want to stop wondering if you will run into them at the grocery store. You want closure.

The problem is we often wait for closure to be given to us. An apology, an explanation, some acknowledgment of what happened. Most of the time, it never comes. So we are left with this open loop in our heads. A story without an ending that we replay over and over.

But closure is not something you get. It is something you create for yourself. The connection you feel to this person is not some mystical external force. It is a set of thoughts and patterns inside your own mind. And you have the power to change those patterns.

The Psychology of Ritual

Humans have used rituals for thousands of years for a reason. A ritual is simply a sequence of actions performed in a prescribed order. It sounds complicated, but it is not. It is a way of telling your subconscious mind that something important is happening.

A ritual gives a tangible form to an intangible idea. By performing a physical act, like speaking words aloud and then pressing a delete button, you create a memory that is much stronger than just thinking “I should move on.” You are giving your mind a clear dividing line between the past and the future. This is not magic. It is a practical tool for instructing your brain.

The Audio Release Ritual

Here is a simple ritual you can perform. You only need a quiet place and a few minutes. It works best when spoken aloud, which is why an audio journal is the perfect tool. The goal is to say everything that needs to be said, so it no longer needs to live inside you.

Step 1 Find Your Space

Go somewhere you will not be interrupted. Your car, your bedroom, a walk outside. This is a private conversation between you and you. The focus is important. Treat this like a serious meeting you are having with yourself.

Step 2 Name Them

Begin your recording. The first step is to say the person’s name out loud. Just their name. This act of naming brings the issue into focus. You are not talking about some vague problem. You are addressing a specific source of pain directly. It makes the process real.

Step 3 The Uncensored Purge

Now, say everything you never got to say. Do not worry about being polite or fair. This recording is for you alone. Let out the anger, the hurt, the confusion. What did they do? How did it make you feel? What do you wish you had said at the time? Describe the injustice in detail. Get it all out. Leave no stone unturned. The more honest you are, the more effective this will be.

Step 4 Find The Lesson

This next part can be difficult, but it is necessary for a clean break. After you have purged all the negative feelings, try to find something you learned from the experience. This does not mean you forgive them or condone what they did. It means you are extracting value from the pain.

Did the experience teach you to have better boundaries? Did it show you a red flag you will now recognize in the future? Did it reveal a strength in yourself you did not know you had? Acknowledging a lesson, however small, shifts you from the role of a victim to the role of a student. It gives you back your power.

Step 5 The Release Statement

Now it is time to formally end the connection. You need to speak the words of release. It should be a simple and clear statement. Something like:

I have said everything I need to say. I release you from my thoughts. I release the story of what happened between us. I am taking my energy back. I am moving on.

Say it slowly. Say it like you mean it. Repeat it three times. Let the words sink in. You are declaring your own freedom.

Step 6 Delete It Forever

This is the final, physical act of the ritual. End the recording. And then, delete it. Do not save it. Do not listen back to it. Its purpose was in the speaking, not the keeping. The act of deleting is a powerful symbol. It tells your brain that the matter is concluded. The words have been said. The energy has been released. It is done.

Life After Release

Will you magically never think of this person again? Probably not. The human brain loves its habits. But now you have a new tool. When a thought of them appears, you can calmly tell yourself “No. We are done with that. I performed the ritual. I released them.”

You have created a new memory, a new reference point that is more powerful than the old, looping story of hurt. You have given yourself the ending the story needed. You created your own closure. That is a powerful thing.

Try this simple exercise for yourself.

A Simple Ritual to Release Negative People