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How can I stop thinking about making mistakes all the time?

18 Answers
Last Updated: 02/03/2020 at 10:26am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Jennifer Fritz, LMSW, PhD

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

Day to day life can be stressful and overwhelming and my strength is assisting my clients in a supportive, empowering and practical manner.

Top Rated Answers
EverlastingLove96
April 8th, 2015 10:14pm
It is hard to stop thinking about mistakes. But something that helps me is to think about what I have learned from those mistakes. Try and see them in a positive light. It will take time, but it helps in the long run.
YouAreNotAlone9
March 21st, 2017 9:56pm
Accept that you are only human. By nature we make mistakes from time to time. Mistakes are an important part of life, they are an opportunity to learn, to do better next time. While it can be hard to let go of some mistakes you need to take the time to forgive yourself. Your past does not define you.
MortalWings
March 13th, 2015 5:43pm
Just know that life goes on and that it's in our nature to make mistakes. If no one made mistakes, we wouldn't learn anything. Mistakes aren't problems; they're lessons in life.
Anaiviv01
February 3rd, 2020 10:26am
We often have a shameful approach to mistakes, mostly based on social stigma and our fear not to be accepted. We learn to play by the rules since we're kids and this "should" assure us we're accepted and embraced. Although this, I believe mistakes are ideas that didn't succeed — but they're still a proof there was an idea or an attempt to do something. Think of a child: they make so many mistakes before learning how to play a game or even how to stand on their feet. James Joyce said "mistakes are the portals of discovery", because through them we train ourselves not to give up on life.
MrMistoffelees
April 8th, 2019 1:23am
Self doubt is a hard thing that all people experience from time to time. Making mistakes is something everybody fears, and it's totally normal. However, being able to stop obsessing over past or future mistakes can be difficult. The first step in feeling secure about making mistakes is understanding that mistakes are what make you, you! You learn and grow from them and they are totally necessary. Being secure in yourself and your unique skill set will allow you to see that you are an important part of an important machine. Practicing telling yourself and proving to yourself that you are important will make it much easier to accept that you will sometimes mess things up. Making mistakes will improve your overall quality, so don't be afraid to make them!
adoredComfort43
July 31st, 2018 11:07am
Making mistakes is not such a bad thing. It's important to not be overly critical of yourself and realize that making mistakes is a part of growth. If you made 0 mistakes in your life, you would still be at the same place you were in when you were born. Do you want that? Give yourself permission to fail so that you can achieve the success you want.
SerenaEmbrace
June 19th, 2018 12:05pm
The acknowledgement that we are all human beings and we learn and grow by making mistakes. Mistakes are part of life.
Arakhthanda
October 23rd, 2017 4:43am
First, think of life as a "working progress" rather than an "end goal". The problem with so many people fearing to make mistakes is that they fear that it will ruin their own self-image, which is permanently who they are and cannot be changed (entity mindset). If you switch over to see your self-image as something that change over time (growth mindset), then you will have no fear of making mistakes.
scotty4947
January 9th, 2017 11:53pm
Come to the terms that making mistakes is a good thing. It is what makes you human, and the experience will help you learn and grow! If I make the mistake of not tying my shoe properly then trip and fall while walking, I will learn to always check and be sure my laces are fastened tightly! It's okay to make mistakes and they're great ways to learn things!
Anonymous
November 8th, 2016 2:19am
Keeping yourself busy is the key. When you are focusing on something really hard. Your mind doesn't have the time to worry.
Anonymous
July 26th, 2016 1:06am
Plan to succeed until it becomes a natural habit that is innate in your character. You should also focus on what you've learnt from the mistake and the mistakes that you haven't made in the past.
Empathy91
February 22nd, 2016 7:40pm
Onne approach would be to think more often about past situations where you managed a situation succesful. When being more confident about yourself, you will automatically worry less about making mistakes.
RowenaTheListener
February 9th, 2016 3:11pm
You could try to see the good in you. Take note of every good thing you do, no matter how small it may seem. Be kind to yourself. You deserve it.
Anonymous
December 14th, 2015 7:43pm
if mistakes are not made then there is no learning taking place. Mistakes show us how not to do things wrong.
kindheart14
October 9th, 2015 3:23pm
You can stop thinking about making mistakes only if you learn from a mistake because making mistakes is human nature, trying to avoid or to forget is like increasing your chance of making another one. Instead learn from the mistake you make try not to repeat it. And if you have made any mistake just think it as a chance for you to learn from it.
cristiana33
October 8th, 2015 6:48pm
Thinking about mistakes isn't a mistake by itself. What matters is to realize what does this fear of making mistake do to you. Does it paralyze you? Does it motivate you to always want more? Finally, when exactly has this fear began to appear? Once you identify the first trigger you'll be able to identify what perspective is better to approach and also how long will it take for you to create another pattern.
PoliteOcean
September 27th, 2015 2:15am
This isn't a one answer fits all and everyone is different. Perhaps taking the time to plan and prepare can help with whatever it is you are about to face. Whether home life, school life or work life. Plan, prepare and implement actions towards things that will make you successful in what you are trying to do.
Leirea
June 16th, 2015 12:17pm
Keep going. Keep doing things you love. Once you do this, you'll be more focused on the process rather than the end goal - so that even if it fails, you will have learned something along the way while enjoying the actual 'doing' the task.