How do you cope with guilt & regret as you move towards old age?

Thank you all.
BlueBelle. Exactly. No matter how many friends I have, nights out, family get togethers, my mind can't quite forget the past. I envy people who can move on & leave the past alone, but I can't.
Maybe my regrets and bad decisions are just too severe?

Bee I m totally understanding I have this problem too and it's easy to say don't but your mind does what it wants, sometimes I feel I have no choice as to where it takes me
It's usually in the wee small hours or when I m alone ( which is quite often) I do keep busy I do voluntary work, meet up with friends, do hobbies have grandchildren, go out and about but it doesn't matter how busy you are there is still plenty of thinking time in a day I know how to do all the distraction stuff but it's still there ready to pop out and hurt
Of course logically there's no point as we can't change anything but short of shutting my brain down it's impossible not to go over things and life is rarely built on logic
You are very luck Ninathenan and others who can bypass the past but everyone's wired up differently and for some it's not so easy as just keeping busy ...and no I don't have depression I m as happy as the next person but I do have an active brain and it's often active in the wrong areas but that's my cross, I guess we all have one

No, not necessarily. Nobody reaches old age without having at sometime made seriously bad decisions.But what can you do about them now? Nothing. So what is the point of dwelling upon them? The past is the past. Think about all that was good in it and the good decisions you made and ignore the rest.

If the thoughts about these decisions are intrusive and try and force themselves on you develop some distraction techniques. Consciously block them and move your thoughts to something pleasant. if that will not work. Do soething to distract yourself. Read, listen to music, sing to yourselves. If it gets too bad seek CBT therapy.

Hi bee. I sometimes reflect on things I've done in the past and think "What was I thinking?!" I'm pretty sure that happens to most of us. I've even apologised to a few people for mistakes I've made that have involved them.

But I never dwell on them because there's no point in that, is there? I've a friend who has fretted herself into a serious depression because she regrets having immigrated. That's not for me.

Look back, but don't stare, as the saying goes.

And just because you're getting older and have lived more years than those to come, it doesn't mean you stop looking forward...

Do you spend a lot of time alone bee ?

I think I spend very little time "looking back" I might have a fleeting moment when I think 'if only' but that's it. We can't change our past, so shouldn't waste energy thinking about it.
Maybe you need to find more to occupy yourself, giving you less time for sitting thinking. All these negative thoughts are bad for you and could lead to depression

All I can say is, don't look back. I made bad decisions in the past, I made some good ones too. The past is the past and you can't change it, get on with what you have now.
And maybe go see a doctor to get help with depression.