Discouragement is the heavy feeling you get when obstacles or setbacks make you doubt yourself and want to give up. It's what happens when you've practiced your free throws for weeks but still miss during the big game, or when you've rewritten an essay three times and your teacher says it still needs work.

Discouragement feels different from simple disappointment. When you're disappointed, you're sad something didn't work out. When you're discouraged, that disappointment starts whispering that maybe you should stop trying altogether. It saps your energy and enthusiasm, making the next attempt feel harder than it should.

Everyone faces discouragement: the scientist whose experiment fails repeatedly, the musician who can't quite master a difficult passage, the student struggling with a subject that seems to come easily to everyone else.

Sometimes discouragement comes from outside: a critical comment, a poor grade, or watching others succeed where you've struggled. Other times it comes from within: your own harsh self-criticism or unrealistic expectations.

The opposite of discouragement is encouragement, when someone helps restore your confidence and determination. A good coach, teacher, or friend knows how to encourage you when you're feeling discouraged by reminding you why you started and helping you see a path forward.