In a simple definition, failure is the result of a lack of expected levels of success or no success at all. It can be accompanied by some strong emotions such as anger, depression, anxiety, and sadness. Hence, even though every effort must be made to avoid failure, it makes a lot of sense to be prepared for the time when the dreaded moment eventually happens. And when it does, these are 5 scientific and healthy ways to cope with it.
1. Acknowledge failure and the emotions it brings with it
When the moment of failure happens, the attempt should be to embrace it and acknowledge it rather than making efforts to forget it and keep it far from your mind space. The more we try to avoid feeling the negative emotions of failure, the more it will attract us towards itself thereby leaving us with a sense of helplessness. As a result, a study published in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making suggests that we should acknowledge the fact that we are bound to undergo this process of feeling sad, anxious, embarrassed, or any other such emotion and make a conscious effort to be aware of the same. This helps us live with it and eventually get out of it in a calm and composed manner.
2. Read about what successful people did to overcome failure
There isn’t a soul on the planet that hasn’t been unsuccessful in life but there are still several successful people in every field and around us. This means there has been a time when such people suffered the consequences of failure and came out of it strongly. Every individual will have different experiences to share and some or many of them may be applicable to you as well. Seeking extrinsic motivation is a proven way to boost morale thereby making us mentally prepared to come out of the negative vibes that failure brings with itself.
3. Do not make it personal but take appropriate responsibility for it
Several times the outcome of a situation is out of our control and there are external factors that may determine success or failure. Also, there are times when we aren’t true to ourselves and play the blame game to feel better. It is important to strike the balance between being critical of the mistakes one made and not being overly critical at the same time. This ensures we pick up the learning part from the failure and continue to grow from it.
4. Include physical activity in daily routine
We are all capable of finding time and resources for some kind of physical activity in the day. If a gym isn’t an option, running or walking can do the trick. Increased heart rate by physical activity can result in the release of endorphins which are critical to inducing the feeling of positivity and happiness in the body. Not to forget the aesthetic benefits of working out and feeling more confident while looking at oneself in the mirror.
5. Remind yourself of how you overcame previous failures
If we have seen failure, there are bound to be moments in which we have experienced success. The magnitude of the success or failure doesn’t matter but what matters is recalling what we did to bounce back the last time. Remind yourself of the little changes you made in your lifestyle or how you found intrinsic motivation to come out of a tough situation. It is all there with you and nobody can take that experience from you either. So dig slightly deep and get to the details of how you managed the negative emotions and came out stronger than before.
It is critical to remember the biggest fact of life that nothing is permanent. Either success or failure, and both are bound to happen. If you want to deal with failure, there is a conscious choice you can make on how you react to the tough times the failure brings with it. This can be done by being more aware of the situation and responding to it in a healthy and organized way instead of reacting to it by indulging in something that we may not be proud of later. So make that healthy choice, always!
