One of the hardest things to learn is how to get back on your feet when you’ve been knocked over and over again. Constant failure and crushing disappointment are two of the greatest demotivating factors you face in life. When you’ve been hurt enough, suffered enough, you eventually begin to believe that you have no other option. Fighting it wouldn’t make any difference. It’s easier to just surrender – to give up and accept the inevitable and that the situation is so hopeless that it is beyond resolution. Simply put, these feelings of failure cause people to give up on the pursuit of their normal goals and dreams, and can be defined as Learned helplessness. It is the result of repeated failure to control unwanted events or discomfort in your life. When you feel like you just can’t escape pain, you eventually stop trying to remember to avoid the discomfort. Even when opportunities to escape are presented, learned helplessness prevents the individual from taking any action.

When it comes to overcoming learned helplessness, the most important factor is knowing that it is possible and that you’re in control. When you focus on things that you have no control over, it leads you to feel hopeless. So, instead of doing that, focus on the things that you can control. Research shows that learned helplessness can be prevented by learning to view situations in a more positive way and doing so will help you to see setbacks and failures as temporary and singular. Determination to overcome helplessness can be a huge motivator.