7 Steps To Recover From Failure
Accepting failure has never been an easy thing — especially for those who struggle with perfectionistic traits.
It truly hurts to see yourself fail at something you’ve worked so hard on, something you’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into.
You’re so tempted to let failure define your self-worth and the value you bring to the table.
You start to reconsider and question the effort you put into the goal you’re trying to achieve.
Stop.
You must understand this: failure is an essential part of life.
Failure is an essential part of your personal growth. Failure provides you with valuable lessons and resilience.
Embracing failure as a natural part of the journey lets you take risks that you may shy away from.
Failure humbles us and reminds us that we are wrong (often).
Only through experiencing failure do we become more compassionate towards others who may be going through similar situations. Failure fosters a sense of connection and understanding.
I’ve broken up the steps I take to bounce back and recover from failure into the following two sections.
Practice Self Care
1. Meditate
Meditation is renowned for its ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It can positively impact our emotional well-being by helping us regulate our emotions.
It allows us to observe and acknowledge our emotions without being overwhelmed by them.
Whenever we experience hardships, it’s important to feel, acknowledge, and accept the emotions that come up from within.
Meditating is a way of checking in with ourselves. It helps ease the troubled mind and soul.
Meditating is especially powerful if you find that you ‘identify’ with your thoughts or emotions.
Focus on your breath. Do not get upset if your mind wanders. Just as failure is part of life, a wandering mind is part of human nature.
I meditate early in the morning for 20 minutes.
2. Exercise
Exercising is one of the most powerful tools for releasing endorphins — chemicals responsible for making you feel good. Exercise can help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
High-intensity exercise helps us break sweat and push through mental/physical barriers. This can be transformative to our mental state as it enhances our overall sense of well being and self esteem.
Let your mind rest by going for a jog, to the gym, or a walk. Allow it to recover from overthinking.
3. Journal
Transferring your thoughts onto a piece of paper alleviates mental stress. Journaling provides a safe and private space for self-reflection.
By putting our thoughts and experiences into words, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves, our emotions, and our reactions to different situations.
It allows us to explore our values, beliefs, and desires, leading to self-discovery and personal growth.
Writing out your thoughts can help you identify flaws in your thinking. Journaling helps us see the problem from another angle, another lens.
The transfer of thoughts onto paper allows us to act as a third-party observer of the situation.
4. Seek support
Don’t be afraid to reach out for support from friends, family, or mentors.
Share your experience, express your feelings, and seek advice or guidance.
As with journaling, having a support system can provide encouragement, perspective, and new ideas to help you recover and move forward.
Embrace a Growth Mindset
1. Identify and learn from mistakes
Failure provides valuable lessons. I view failure as a ‘learning session’.
Identify where you fell short of your goal. Determine how you can improve the next time you take the challenge.
Use this knowledge to adjust your approach. Develop new strategies in order to make better-informed decisions moving forward.
2. Adjust your mindset
Instead of viewing failure as a setback, reframe it as an opportunity for growth. ‘Learning session’ remember?
Adopt a growth mindset that recognizes failures as stepping stones toward success.
Trust yourself. Believe you can learn, improve, and achieve your goals.
3. Get back on track as soon as possible
Taking the rest of the day off to practice self care is completely acceptable.
I encourage you to get back on track as soon as possible.
Going off track once will not erase all the progress you have made in the past. Get up and get going!
You Got This!
Recovering after experiencing failure can be challenging, but it’s an essential part of growth and learning.
Remember that failure is a natural and unavoidable aspect of the human experience.
In order to evolve and grow, we must face and encounter various challenges, setbacks, and obstacles that may lead to failure in different areas, such as relationships, work, education, or personal goals.
It’s important to not let our failures define us. Accept and learn from the defeat but carry on as if it had never happened.
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