7 Scientific Ways To Overcome Failure

Failure doesn’t feel good when it happens, but overall it can be good for you in the long run. You just need to know how to use it to your benefit.

You have the choice to let your setbacks either keep you down in life, or push you higher than you’ve ever been before.

Here are seven scientific ways you can overcome your failures.

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How to overcome your failures in life

Black and white picture of man sitting with head down reflecting the desire to overcome failure

1. Learn from failure

University of Colorado researchers conducted a study that concluded organizations that fail learn more and gain knowledge that lasts longer.

As a result, the organizations do better in the long run. As the researchers explain it, companies that failed were forced to look for solutions.

One example given was that older airlines with more experience with failures had a fewer number of accidents.

They recommended that organizations analyze the small failures to gain information for success in the future.

The same can be the case for all of us individually as well. We can look for the lessons in the small failures and grow from them.

They can help us to make fewer mistakes in the future and thus be more successful in life.

2. Allow yourself to be emotional about failure

A study conducted by the University of Kansas found that people who emotionally respond to failure were more likely to improve their results.

The reason was because people who focused more on how they felt about their failure put in more effort to succeed the next time they performed.

In a sense, it’s as if they used those emotions as a fuel to motivate them to work harder and do better next time.

So rather than suppressing your disappointment or frustration, embrace it and use it to motivate you to do well next time.

3. Positively reframe the failure

A study out of the University of Kent noted three strategies that were effective for people overcoming failure.

The first strategy was positive reframing. People focused on the positive and the good that came out of their failure.

This strategy was particularly helpful for individuals who had perfectionist tendencies.

4. Accept the failure

The second strategy noted in the study to be helpful was acceptance. The participants felt more satisfied at the end of the day by choosing to accept their failures.

In contrast, those who vented about their failures and denied them were more likely to feel less satisfied at the end of the day.

It’s important to realize that failure is a part of life. You’re inevitably going to make a mistake at some point.

By choosing to accept that, you can help to relieve yourself of the burden of constantly trying to avoid messing up.

It can help you to be less stressed with your work, your studies, and your relationships.

5. Approach the failure with humor

The last strategy noted in the study to be effective for coping with failure is humor. In general, this is a tactic that’s good for dealing with all kinds of negative moments in life.

I’ve seen people who were able to laugh at the mistakes they made and I’ve also seen people who get extremely upset over them.

Of course, in some situations, mistakes can have serious consequences that can be difficult to make a laughing matter.

But as much as you can, find ways to make light of the mistakes or failures you have in life.

6. Practice self-regulation

A study conducted on Spanish students trying to deal with failure found that self-regulation was an effective way to push through it.

Examples of self-regulation include setting goals and learning to make adjustments in the path you’re taking after mistakes happen.

When you develop these skills, you help to enhance your ability to be resilient in the face of life’s challenges.

7. Have a support group

I may or may not have shared this study before, but it’s worth sharing again even if I did.

A study done by the British Psychological Society found that young people from low-income backgrounds dealt with challenges better if they had close friends.

We all need some kind of support in our lives. Whether it’s from family, friends, or a significant other.

Dealing with your failures all on your own will only make it harder for you to cope with them.

Find someone in life you can trust that you can talk about all of your setbacks with to get support and encouragement to push through your challenges.

Final thoughts on failing

I’ve failed many times in my life. I dropped out of college three times, I’ve had multiple relationships end, and in general, I’ve messed up a lot.

But those failures made me a stronger person. They’ve made me more comfortable with seeing how things work out, because I know if something goes wrong, I’ll find a way to be okay.

In the end, failure is a good thing because it shows you ways you can improve, and it strengthens you to push through greater challenges in the future.

It’s understandable that getting something wrong can feel bad in the moment, but don’t let it feel bad forever.

There are good things that can come out of your mistakes if you choose to find the value in them.

Be encouraged to start looking at your failures as opportunities. Doing so can make a huge difference in your overall growth in life.