 We all make mistakes from time to time, and nobody is perfect. So learning how to give an effective apology is a useful tool. Apologizing can rebuild trust, or even repair a strained relationship. 1. Regret It's important to start your apology by clearly conveying your regret over your behavior, acknowledge the pain, disappointment, or inconvenience you caused, and having empathy towards the person you've hurt. 2. Responsibility This means owning up to your mistake and taking the blame, except complete responsibility for what you did and the consequences of your actions. For your apology to be effective, you can't try to shift the blame to someone else. Which brings us to… 3. Make No Excuses It's natural to want to make excuses for your actions when apologizing, but it may come off as insincere. On the other hand, by taking responsibility for your actions without making excuses, you will likely gain respect and forgiveness from the person you're apologizing to. 4. Remedy Offer a way to make up for the damage you've caused. This can be done in a number of ways, such as promising not to do it again, or paying for any physical damage you caused. 5. Request for Forgiveness Make it a point to ask for forgiveness. This may seem obvious, but you have to make sure that the person you're apologizing to knows that you want to gain their forgiveness, not just relieve yourself of any guilt you feel. Keep intention and attitude in mind when you're apologizing, coming across as insincere will lower your chances of being forgiven. It's important that you reflect on what you've done wrong and truly feel sorry for what you did before attempting to apologize. Try putting yourself in the shoes of the person you're apologizing to. Would you be upset if you were them? What would you want to hear as far as an apology goes? Also, don't forget that intention and attitude can be translated nonverbally as well through eye contact, facial expressions, and body language. And it takes some time to think about the last time you apologized to someone or someone else apologized to you. Do you think it was effective? Comment your answers down below. If you enjoyed this video, be sure to follow our Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook for more content. And don't forget to subscribe! Thanks for watching and have a wonderful day!