Have you ever been so frightened of failing that you opted not to attempt at all? Or has your fear of Failure meant that you have unconsciously undercut your attempts to prevent a more significant failure?
Many of us have undoubtedly been through something similar at some point in our lives. Fear of Failure may paralyze us, causing us to accomplish nothing and reject going forward. When we allow fear to stop us from moving forward in life, we are more likely to lose out on some fantastic chances.
In this post, we’ll look at the fear of Failure: what it is, what causes it, and how to overcome it to achieve great success at work and in life.
Common reasons for Fear of Failure
To understand the origins of Failure dread, we must first define the term “failure.”
We all define Failure differently because we have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. As a result, a failure for one person may just be a terrific learning experience for another.
Many of us are terrified of Failure, at least some of the time. But the dread of failure (also known as “atychiphobia”) occurs when we allow that fear to prevent us from doing the things that will help us reach our objectives.
A variety of factors can cause fear of failure. For some, having critical or unsupportive parents is a reason. Because they were constantly undermined or humiliated as children, they retain those bad sentiments into adulthood.
A traumatic experience in your life at some time in your life might potentially be a cause. For example, assume you delivered a crucial presentation in front of a large group some years ago and performed terribly. The incident might have been so traumatic that you grew terrified of failing in other areas. And you carry that terror with you even now, years later.
What exactly is Failure
In life, most of us will slip and fall. Doors will slam in our faces, and we may make poor judgments. But think if Michael Jordan had given up on his goal of playing basketball after being cut from that squad. Imagine if Richard Branson had listened to those who told him he’d never been able to achieve anything significant if he didn’t have a high school education.
Consider the chances you’ll pass on if you let past failures deter you.
Failure can also teach us something about ourselves that we would not have known otherwise. For example, failing might help you realize how powerful you are as a person. Failing at anything might help you uncover your truest friends or unexpected inspiration to achieve.
Often, significant ideas emerge only after a failure. Accepting and learning from those insights is critical to success in life.
How to deal with Failure- Embrace failure
Failure brings with it a slew of feelings, including humiliation, worry, rage, despair, and shame, to mention a few. Those sensations are unpleasant, and many individuals will go to any length to avoid experiencing emotional distress.
According to a 2017 research published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, you shouldn’t strive to avoid feeling horrible after failing. Instead, researchers discovered that thinking about your feelings is the most beneficial rather than Failure itself. So, embrace your feelings. First, recognize how you’re feeling and permit yourself to feel awful for a while. Then, label your feelings as you allow yourself to feel them. For example, you may think, “I’m disappointed,” or “I’m sorry things didn’t work out.”
How to deal with Failure- Eliminate Unhealthy Attempts to Reduce Pain
You may be tempted to say, “I never wanted that job anyway,” but diminishing your suffering will not make it go away. Distracting yourself or replacing the hole you feel with food, drugs, or alcohol will not cure your suffering. Those goods will only give you a brief respite.
Recognize the destructive ways you try to avoid or reduce suffering in your life. Using coping strategies that cause more damage than goodwill simply worsens the situation.
How to deal with Failure- Express Sadness
Calling a friend, practising deep breathing, having a bubble bath, going on a stroll, or playing with your pet are just a few examples of healthy methods to deal with pain. However, not every coping strategy works for everyone, so it’s critical to uncover what does.
How to deal with Failure- Acknowledge unreasonable notions about Failure
You may have adopted some unreasonable notions about Failure at some time in your life. For example, perhaps you believe that failing implies you’re a failure or that you’ll never succeed. Perhaps you believe that if you fail, no one will like you.
These kinds of ideas are false, and they might keep you from doing activities that you might not succeed at. So make a point of identifying any unreasonable assumptions that may influence your moods and conduct.
How to deal with Failure- Face failure practically
A 2016 evaluation of 46 studies on failure reactions published in Clinical Psychology Review discovered that “more positive attributional style” was a key determinant in how resilient people were to the emotional discomfort induced by Failure—in other words, viewing Failure as the outcome of something distinct and external instead of something inside.
Reframe your views when you find yourself believing that you’re a hopeless cause or that it’s pointless to attempt again.