Fear of failure, also called atychiphobia, is a constant, overwhelming feeling of dread that accompanies the undertaking of projects or pursuit of life goals. People who live with atychiphobia often feel absolutely certain they will fail, even if that feeling is baseless. This sense of insecurity can interfere with their thoughts, emotions, and actions.
When kept in check, a healthy fear of failure can be positive and lead us to better plan, focus, and prepare. But when a fear of failure grows out of control it can become paralyzing and isolating.
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What Is the Fear of Failure?
Fear of failure is far more than being afraid to do poorly on a task; instead, it involves the belief that you are not or will not be “good enough,” and will disappoint yourself or other people in your life.1 It is an all-encompassing reaction to the notion that you won’t measure up, and it involves extreme worry and other negative thoughts and emotions, as well as a hesitation or unwillingness to take measures toward a task or goal.2
These unpleasant feelings associated with the fear of failure exist on a spectrum ranging from mild to severe. Most people have experienced mild anxiety over the idea of failing at something important or when starting something new or challenging, but some experience a fear of failure so intense that it shuts them down and becomes debilitating.3
When mild, anxiety such as the fear of failure can be motivating, providing positive stress and encouraging people to persist and achieve their goals.4 When severe, however, it can interfere in life and stop people in their tracks, rendering them unable or unwilling to take action toward a goal. It’s closely connected with procrastination5 and perfectionism,1,3 other sets of beliefs and actions that can prevent people from moving forward.
Signs That Fear of Failure Is Holding You Back
Having worries and doubts that come and go but don’t interfere in your life isn’t a sign that someone is experiencing fear of failure.
True fear of failure is more all-encompassing and is accompanied by other signs, including:2,5,6,7
- Persistent fatigue or lack of energy
- A sense of hopelessness about the future
- Chronic (versus occasional or limited) worry
- Concerns about what others will think of you if you fail or don’t do well
- Frequent procrastination
- High distractibility, being pulled off task by irrelevant or unimportant things
- Avoiding tasks or people associated with a project or general goal
- Physical symptoms (headaches, digestive troubles, joint or muscle pain) that prevent working toward a goal
Causes of Atychiphobia
Fear of failure can develop at any time in life. It can even begin in childhood as a result of critical parenting, bullying, or traumatic events.8 Regardless of when in life it begins or what events lead to the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors underlying fear of failure, it’s largely a result of the way stress affects the brain.9,10
If managed unsuccessfully, the stress response can sometimes lead to uncertain and negative thoughts and emotions and a pattern of fear and anger. In the case of atychiphobia, the stress of repeated failure (or thoughts about repeated failure) can lead to negative mental health effects. Fear of failure can then become a default mindset and approach to life.
The Effects & Consequences of Atychiphobia
Fear of failure can be paralyzing. It can cause people to shut down—believing that there’s no point in trying to accomplish something because it will lead only to failure. Consequently, a fear of failure can lead to missed opportunities and problems in daily life.3 The fear of failure can affect someone’s outlook, creating an approach to tasks that involves extreme caution in order to prevent loss instead of a success orientation with actions designed to meet a goal.2
Living with this mindset brings negative consequences that can extend beyond failure to reach a goal. Extreme fear of failure can affect mental health, relationships, and overall quality of life.
This paralyzing set of thoughts, feelings, and actions can lead to:7,11
- Avoidance of tasks, projects, opportunities, and even other people (out of perceived negative judgments and a sense of shame or disappointment)
- Low self-esteem
- Low self-efficacy (i.e.,the belief in your own abilities)
- Decreased resilience (making it difficult to recover from setbacks)
- Learned helplessness (thoughts of powerlessness or lack of control)
- Underachievement
- High anxiety in other areas of life
- Emotional upheaval and instability
- Self-sabotaging or self-handicapping behavior (such as procrastination or purposefully giving something very little effort in order to have an excuse for failure or something to blame other than a lack of ability)
Fear of failure is cruelly ironic. Because someone is afraid of failing to reach a goal, they may never pursue their goals at all and thus prevent themselves from living their best life.
5 Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Failure
If you are dealing with the fear of failure, these five tips could help:
1. Identify & Clarify Your Thoughts, Feelings, & Actions
Understanding and pinpointing why you are afraid of failing and how failing might truly affect you helps you face a fear of failure.6,12 This insight is also useful to identify precisely how the fear of failure is impacting your behavior. For example, are you overstriving, working frantically—not to achieve success but simply to avoid the consequences you think might happen if you fail, or are you engaging in self-protective behaviors such as procrastination or avoidance to give yourself a reason to explain away failure?7 Once you’ve identified stressful or self-sabotaging behaviors, you can change your actions to make success more likely.
2. Shift Your Perspective
An important part of overcoming fear of failure is developing a new perspective about the idea of failure. Instead of seeing failure as an absolute, life-destroying disaster, develop a new relationship with it.
Shift your thinking so that you begin to see failure as:
- Feedback, as a chance to learn and grow13
- A lesson, because reflecting on past failures to find their benefits can help you be more open to failure as a teacher now12
- A surmountable challenge that provides an opportunity to move forward rather than a road block stopping you in your path12
- A fleeting or impermanent situation rather than a permanent end to your path
While you are developing a new perspective about failure and its role in your life, also shift your thoughts about yourself. Boosting your belief in yourself and your abilities is a key part of overcoming fear of failure.7 Rather than ruminating about your perceived shortcomings, focus instead on your inherent strengths and talents you bring to your work or school.5
3. Give Yourself Permission to Fail
While at first giving yourself permission to fail may feel terrifying, giving yourself permission to fail can be liberating.8 Go back to the first tip and identify your thoughts and feelings about failure. Examine them closely, and ask yourself what would be the worst possible outcome of failure. Would you survive? Quite likely, you’ll discover that, while perhaps unpleasant, you would survive your imagined worst-case-scenario and continue to move forward.
Giving yourself permission to fail can be stressful and anxiety-provoking. To help in the process, be kind to yourself. Catch yourself using harsh labels and judgments against yourself. Also, notice your anxious, fearful thoughts and use relaxation techniques such as stretching, deep breathing, and meditation to reduce stress and anxiety as you learn to give yourself permission to fail and keep going forward.
4. Take Control
Sometimes, dread of failing looms large when tasks or goals are overwhelming. Breaking down daunting projects into manageable chunks can help you feel more in-control.13 It can also help to reflect on aspects of success that are within your control so you can make effective choices and actions to set yourself up for achievement.7
List your typical work habits and approaches to tasks. Then, be honest with yourself in evaluating what works well for you and what gets in your way. Choose to do more of what works and replace what doesn’t work for you with different actions. This reflection and decision-making process will help you feel in control of your tasks and yourself, something that can be motivating and empowering.
5. Be Mindful, & Distance Yourself From Your Fears
It’s difficult to concentrate on what you are doing right now, in your present moment, when your mind is whirring with ruminations about what is already over or what might or might not happen in the future. Focusing on the task at hand in any given moment helps you keep abreast of your current actions rather than ruminating over thoughts and feelings about imagined consequences and perceived shortcomings.7
This approach to projects, goals, and life itself is called mindfulness. To be more mindful and less caught up in fear of failure, use these principles from acceptance and commitment therapy:14
- Notice your negative thoughts and worries.
- Thoughts aren’t always true and trustworthy. Distance yourself from them by reminding yourself, “I’m having the thought that I’m going to fail and let everyone down.”
- Immediately redirect your concentration by using your senses to focus on something in your present moment. Pay attention to something you see, hear, feel, smell, or even taste if that’s appropriate in the moment.
- Take several slow, deep breaths to calm your brain and body. Doing this switches off your sympathetic nervous system that’s responsible for the fight-or-flight reaction and activates your parasympathetic nervous system, or “rest-and-digest mode,” which allows you to feel calm and focused.15 Turn your effort and attention to a small, workable component of your task.
When to Get Professional Help for Atychiphobia
If fear of failure begins to interfere in your daily life, it may be time to seek professional help. Such interference means that the fear of failure is getting in the way of your ability to live your life the way you want to live it. You may find it difficult to start or complete tasks at work or home. It also could mean that fear of failure is causing you to avoid doing things you want or need to do, or is preventing you from pursuing your passions or dreams.
Fear of failure can also interfere in relationships, making it hard to be yourself around others or causing you to believe that you’re not good enough. When you notice that this anxiety is disrupting your life, reaching out for help could be beneficial.16
Other indications that professional help may be a good idea include:17
- You are also experiencing other mental health challenges like depression, other forms of anxiety, or an eating disorder
- You are using alcohol, marijuana, or other substances to cope with your fear of failure
- Fear of failure is worsening or you feel that you can no longer manage it the way you have in the past
Who Should I Consult for Help in Overcoming Fear of Failure?
Visiting with your physician or mental health professional can help you learn more about your own fear of failure and develop positive ways to overcome it so that it no longer interferes in your life. Sometimes, if anxiety is high or you are also experiencing a mood disorder like depression, your physician may suggest medication to help with your brain and body’s neurochemical activity.11
Medication alone, however, doesn’t treat fear of failure. Working with a therapist who specializes in cognitive or behavior approaches can be helpful in exploring your fear of failure, coping with related stress, and identifying and letting go of negative beliefs and emotions underlying fear of failure.11
Mindfulness-based interventions have also been shown to help people deal with and overcome fear of failure.14 Whether you prefer individual sessions with a therapist or group settings such as Mindfulness-based stress reduction (or a similar program known as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy), working with a professional can go a long way toward freeing you from fear of failure.
How to Find a Therapist
Finding a therapist can seem intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. You can ask your primary-care physician for recommendations, or trusted friends or family members could also give you some recommendations. You can also use an online therapist directory to help you locate professionals in your area.
Additional Resources
Learn more about overcoming fear of failure from these reputable sources:
- Harvard Business Review
- UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center: Overcoming Fear of Failure at Work
- UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center: How to Help Kids Overcome Fear of Failure
- Krishnamurti Foundation
- Online Therapist Directory: Sort therapists by specialty, cost, availability and more. Watch intro videos of therapists who specialize in anxiety and phobias, and when you’ve found a good match, book an online therapy appointment with them directly.
Are you ready to connect with a therapist but feel a little overwhelmed by all your options? Speak with one of Choosing Therapy’s Client Navigators. Client Navigators are mental health professionals who will listen to what you’re looking for in a therapist and help pair you with the best possible fit. Getting started is free, easy, and confidential.
