A new study from SWPS University and the Nencki Institute in Poland looked at why some people keep a strong fear of failure for many years. Researchers tested a therapy called Imagery Rescripting. This technique asks people to remember difficult childhood events and then imagine a caring adult helping them in those memories instead of focusing on the pain.

The study included 180 adults aged 18 to 35 who said they had a big fear of failure. Over two weeks, the participants went to four therapy sessions using this technique.

After the sessions, people had less fear of failure and felt less sad or guilty about their past. The study found these good changes lasted for months. The researchers say that the Imagery Rescripting technique worked best when people imagined a helpful and positive surprise in their old memories.