10 Healthy Ways to Bounce Back From Failure

When you find yourself thinking that you’re a hopeless cause or that there’s no use in trying again, reframe your thoughts . Remind yourself of more realistic thoughts about failure such as:

• Failure is a sign that I’m challenging myself to do something difficult.
• I can handle failure.
• I can learn from my failures.

You may need to repeat a phrase or affirmation to ward off negative thoughts or to reinforce to yourself that you can bounce back.

It’s important to accept an accurate level of responsibility for your failure. Taking on too much may cause you to unnecessarily blame yourself.

On the other hand, blaming other people or unfortunate circumstances on your failure will prevent you from learning from it.

When you think about your failure, look for explanations, not excuses. Identify the reasons you failed and acknowledge what you can do differently next time.

Many successful people continue to fail regularly. Actors get rejected for roles, athletes get cut from the team, and business owners get turned down for deals.

Study what they did to bounce back. You might learn skills that can help you in your own life. It can be helpful to see that failure is something that everyone deals with.

Failure can be a great teacher if you’re open to learning.

Think about what you could do differently next time. Then, you will ensure your failure has become a life lesson that helped you learn something.

Instead of seeing a failure as a burden weighing you down, look at it as a stepping stone toward your goals.

Once you've identified your mistakes and where you can learn from them, you'll be ready to make a plan for moving forward. Remember that dwelling on your problems or rehashing your mistakes will keep you stuck. Stop thinking, "I am a failure," and focus on thinking, "I am capable of trying again."

With your new learnings, think about what you’ll do differently next time. Create a plan that will help you put the information you gained into practice.

Facing your fears, however, can be the key to reducing the discomfort.

Practice stepping outside your comfort zone. Do things that might get you rejected or try new things where you could fail.

Over time, you’ll learn that failure isn’t as bad as you might imagine. It will help you learn to face your fear of failure in a way that can be productive and help you reach your goals.

Sometimes, failure becomes debilitating. If you’re struggling to function after you’ve failed at something, consider seeking professional help.

Whether you’ve experienced a failed marriage or you’ve failed in business, talking to a mental health professional can assist you in bouncing back.