Making a mistake at work can trigger intense feelings of shame and anxiety. You might replay the error over and over, convinced it will permanently damage your reputation or career. But here’s what many people don’t realize: most workplace mistakes aren’t entirely the fault of any one person. System failures, unclear communication, inadequate training, or unrealistic deadlines often play a role. Yet, we’re quick to shoulder all the blame ourselves.
Whether it’s your fault or not, if you’re involved in any way, it’s not unusual to feel self-blame. This can affect your performance in the workplace. It can also lead to imposter syndrome, when someone doubts their accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud, even if they are good at their job.
Understanding why you feel this way and developing a strategy to move past it is crucial for recovering your confidence.
Why Making a Mistake at Work Triggers Self-Blame
Self-blame is a common reaction to workplace errors, as many people fear the worst and jump to conclusions. After a mistake at work, your brain might kick into self-criticism mode for three key reasons:
- Control – Blaming yourself can feel like gaining control—if you caused the problem, you can prevent it from happening again.
- Spotlight Effect – You might feel as though everyone is focusing their attention on your mistake, which makes you overestimate how much people notice your actions.
- Fear of Repetition – Your anxiety can be a warning system to prevent future failure. This fear can motivate you to correct yourself.
Before you can move on, you need to acknowledge the reality of the situation without letting your emotions drive the narrative. Of course, this can be easier said than done.
What to Do Immediately After a Mistake at Work
Acknowledgement
If you’re the one who made the mistake, acknowledge it and let the appropriate people know as soon as possible. You can make a sincere apology and assure them that you have learnt from the mistake so that it won’t happen again.
Take Ownership
Accept responsibility for the consequences without making excuses. Blame is different from taking responsibility, which involves looking forward and seeing what can be improved. When you only blame yourself, you’re not doing anything to improve, which can make you feel worse in the long run.
Correct Yourself
If your mistake at work affected others, apologize sincerely and take steps to resolve any harm caused. Making things right not only helps repair relationships—it also relieves the ongoing anxiety that comes from leaving issues unresolved.
Create a Plan
Creating a concrete plan to address your mistake at work helps reduce anxiety and gives you a clear path forward. When you know exactly what steps to take, you can focus on solutions instead of spiraling into worry. Remember: one mistake doesn’t define your worth or your career.
How to Review Your Mistake at Work Without Self-Blame
Grab a notebook and conduct a neutral review of the event by answering a few impersonal questions, such as what was the outcome of the error, and when and where did the mistake occur? You can focus your analysis on what specific system, process or step failed, so you can improve the situation.
Document factors outside of your immediate control that contributed, such as an unreasonable deadline, poor communication during a team handoff, or a lack of proper training, which might be considered professional negligence if any of these things result in significant financial losses.
In most serious mistakes at work, you’re rarely the sole cause. Recognizing these systemic issues helps shift the focus from personal failure to organizational learning—benefiting you and your entire team.
Moving Forward After a Mistake at Work
Shifting your focus to a long-term perspective can help you move past workplace anxiety. View the mistake not as a personal flaw, but as an opportunity to grow professionally. Practice self-compassion by acknowledging that making mistakes is an unavoidable part of being human and that everyone makes them at some point.
Channel your anxiety into productive habits—such as creating detailed checklists or standardized processes—that prevent future mistakes at work. By replacing willpower with systems, you transform a momentary failure into lasting professional growth.
Remember: One Mistake at Work Doesn’t Define You
Detaching your personal worth from the professional outcome can help you to overcome anxiety after making a mistake at work. You can conduct a blameless debrief to diagnose the cause of failures, followed by proactive steps to correct the issues and recover successfully. An error is only a temporary event, so you shouldn’t dwell on it. Embrace a long-term perspective, practice self-compassion, and see the mistake as an opportunity to grow and advance your career.
About the Author: Daisy Moss is a freelance writer, focusing on mental health in a host of settings, including the workplace. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time in the Peak District or Lake District with family and friends.
Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-stressed-at-work-8278873/
The opinions and views expressed in any guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in the article or linked to therein. Guest Authors may have affiliations to products mentioned or linked to in their author bios.
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