Understanding Learned Helplessness and Its Impact in the Workplace
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Imagine this: You turn on your work computer, then stare at your email inbox, project timelines, and spreadsheets…and feel like nothing you plan to do with your day is going to make a difference. Or you open up a social media app on your phone, seriously just planning on scrolling through your timeline to see what your friends are up to and maybe seeing some cute pet pics – and instead you’re hit with a bunch of news headlines about negative events that make you want to chuck your phone across the room. Kinda makes you feel like the world’s going downhill fast and there’s nothing you can do about it, huh?
You’re not alone, friend – in fact, this experience is so common that there’s a term for it.
Learned helplessness – a term first coined by American psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven F. Maier in the 1960s – is a psychological state in which a person believes they have no control over their environment or situation due to repeated exposure to uncontrollable events.¹ This leads to a lack of motivation and a sense of powerlessness.
Let’s take a look at what leads to feelings of learned helplessness, how this impacts mental health at work, and how to manage it.
Where does learned helplessness come from?
[gestures at the world around us]
Imagine that I have a whiteboard with the definition of learned helplessness, and I’m underlining and circling the phrase “repeated exposure to uncontrollable events.” Between our political climate, the cost of living crisis, the vicious gauntlet of social media, layoffs multiplying like viruses, and all the doom-laden news headlines, it’s no wonder so many of us feel like we’re struggling against a rip current of events we can’t control.
Learned helplessness can develop from other sources, too:
Chronic stress
Traumatic experiences
Environments that don’t allow for human error or failure
And a compounding factor? Our current cultural refrain of “Keep going! Push through! Think positive!” While these sentiments are usually well-meant (but you know what they say about good intentions…), they usually come off more like toxic positivity and often feel diminutive of the real stress and strain we’re dealing with on a daily basis. And besides, that doesn’t equip us to manage these feelings of learned helplessness.
How does learned helplessness impact mental health?
Researchers have found that learned helplessness can impair a person’s ability to handle stressful situations and can also increase the risk of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.² While learned helplessness isn’t classified as a mental health condition, it has some pretty gnarly impacts on your mental health.
And, of course – and you may have already realized this – the signs of learned helplessness can easily translate to work. Let’s look at some relatable examples.
If someone applies for a promotion multiple times and is passed over each time, no matter how hard they try, they may give up and stop trying because they feel they’ll never achieve that goal.
If someone is constantly chastised for their work output, no matter how hard they try to improve, they’ll stop trying and accept the critique without making any effort to change.
In short, you can forget about a Growth Mindset if you’re dealing with learned helplessness, never mind being able to concentrate or feeling creative or engaged.
Feelings of anxiety or depression often go hand-in-hand with learned helplessness – and negative thought patterns can certainly be exacerbated by it.³ So, how can we recognize and stop the patterns of learned helplessness before they seep into our lives and minds inside of work – and outside of it – and ensure that we can actually have a hand at intentionally creating a better quality of life for ourselves?
Practical ways to manage learned helplessness at work
Before we get into the good stuff, I want to make one thing clear: the word “helplessness” often carries with it a connotation of weakness or negativity, but if you feel that you’re struggling with learned helplessness, that doesn’t make you a bad or weak person. We’re all human, and most of us are trying to manage as best we can. If you feel like you’re struggling not to slip into learned helplessness, or you get the feeling you’ve been there for a while, here are some strategies to help you un-mire yourself:
Set clear, manageable goals for yourself
I’m taking a page from the corporate jargon dictionary here: set realistic S.M.A.R.T. goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) for your work.⁴ Being able to clearly see and understand your responsibilities and the contribution they’re making to your role, team, and company will help you feel more like there’s meaning to your day-to-day work. I’ve also found that sorting through events and tasks using Stephen Covey’s Circles of Control and Influence – ordering things based on what I have direct control over, what I can influence, and what I have no control over – has been immensely helpful for emotional regulation.
Image credit: Modern.Works
Define your Mental Wellbeing Non-Negotiables™️ – at home and at work
A core concept of The Workplace Mental Health Method™️ model is about being accountable to and showing up for yourself first in the ways you actually need and enjoy so you can show up for others. These non-negotiables must be defined, practiced, and maintained by everyone – from employees to managers to CEOs – regardless of title, tenure, or situation. This requires some self-reflection, time, and trial and error, but it’s a worthy investment in your present and future self.
Acknowledge the importance of these Mental Wellbeing Non-Negotiables™️ in your own life.
Pick what you actually like doing – not what the wellness industry tells you that you should be doing. If you feel stuck on this step, try Dr. Martin Seligman’s PERMA Model.⁵ It’s all about encouraging well-being through five different verticals: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.
Decide on a realistic schedule. Whether it’s 5 minutes a day or 2 times a week, if it works for your schedule, that’s all that matters.
Be consistent and adapt as needed.
Share them with others. Whether it's sitting in the sun, listening to the breeze twice a week, practicing deep breathing in the shower, or dancing to the Beatles in a blow-up unicorn costume in your living room on a monthly basis, sharing what you do for your mental wellbeing will encourage others to make a similar investment.
Framework by Melissa Doman | The Workplace Mental Health Method™
Reduce the fear of failure
One out of two people think they could perform better at work if they didn’t have such a profound fear of failure, and more people are afraid of failure than they are of spiders.⁶ ⁷ If you’re thinking, “Gee, that’s a big number of people!” you’re definitely not alone. I get it, though. Fear is often rooted in the anticipation of perceived dangers in different situations – whether that situation is a conversation with a stranger, a presentation at work, an exam, or the state of national and global politics.
That said, fear – and, specifically, fear of failing – is a natural part of life.
Turning the tide on learned helplessness at work requires being able to manage feelings around failure while also offering – and accepting! – praise for the effort and bravery it takes to try something new. This isn’t just a message for leaders; who doesn’t love celebrating their teammates? After all – to quote a Disney Channel classic – we’re all in this together!
Empower those around you to talk about mental health at work
Those feelings that come along with learned helplessness – feelings of demotivation and disconnection – can often be helped by being honest with the people around you about where you’re struggling and what you’re celebrating. Creating psychological safety at work by creating space for new ideas, embracing wins, and making an effort to promote conversation about lives outside of work can go a long way.
This doesn’t have to start as anything dramatic. My team and I meet on a monthly basis, and every time we gather, we spend a few minutes checking in with each other, asking questions about what we’re working on outside of work (and/or at work) and how we’re really doing. There’s never any pressure to share anything outside of what’s comfortable. As long as folks are honest, that’s what counts!
Leverage your leadership to make mental health conversations a priority
For so many reasons, employees and leaders are under more pressure now than ever, and providing access to the right mental health resources is essential to reduce the instances of overwhelm that could be a root cause for learned helplessness. A common misconception I often encounter is that learned helplessness is something that only individual contributors contend with. Leaders also experience learned helplessness. This doesn’t make them bad leaders, but rather leaders who need to prioritize their mental health – and this is why I created my workshop and keynotes on Why Leadership Mental Health Matters.
In today’s workplace, leaders need to know how to talk about mental health at work – it’s a vital part of their development journey. Whether it’s through my leadership certification program, or by inviting me to speak at your workplace, I’d be delighted to support you and your fellow workplace leaders as you hone the skill of talking about – and prioritizing talking about – mental health at work.
Conclusion
Despite the negativity the world “helplessness” often carries with it, feeling helpless is a part of life that we all must contend with – so why not invest in learning the tools and establishing your Mental Wellbeing Non-Negotiables™️needed to thrive…or at least not go totally nuts in today’s wild world?
It’s incredibly important to address the challenges learned helplessness can present. Symptoms of anxiety and depression can arise or be exacerbated, which can lead to any number of challenges at work (and outside of it).
Ultimately, good mental health involves feeling empowered to be, and actually being, responsible for yourself. How? Consistency, setting clear and manageable goals, and sticking to your Mental Health Non-Negotiables™️.
Sources:
¹Learned Helplessness (University of Pennsylvania)
²From helplessness to controllability: toward a neuroscience of resilience (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
³How to Overcome Learned Helplessness (Granite Hills Hospital)
⁴There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives. (Management Review)
⁵PERMA™ Theory of Well-Being (University of Pennsylvania)
⁶Fear of failure holds people back at work (Workplace Insight)
⁷Does the fear of failure hold people back? (College of Allied Educators)
