Whether it’s from a new love interest or a group of friends, we’ve all been rejected. The reality remains that rejection is painful — and when you put everything on the line only to be met with a sad “no,” it is enough to make anyone want to give up on putting oneself out there for anything in the future. When you allow rejection to hold you back in this way, it may harm many parts of your personal life, including your career.
In the same way, physical pain activates some parts of the brain; rejection appears to do the same. Because of this, it is understandable why many individuals dread and even fear being rejected. If you’ve been through it once or a few times, you undoubtedly remember how painful it was and are concerned about it occurring again. Fortunately, it is entirely feasible to persevere in the face of rejection. Here are a few pointers to help you get started.
1.) Have healthy habits
Whether you’re trying to find out how to cope with rejection from family or coworkers, simple factors in your home or work life might impact how you respond to rejection — for example; you might not have gotten enough sleep or eaten well recently. These factors may make it more challenging to deal with rejection healthily — one thing you can do to help yourself cope better is to commit to living a healthier lifestyle. The importance of eating well, exercising regularly, and maintaining proper hydration may help you maintain your strength in the face of rejection.
2.) Be kind to yourself
We tend to beat ourselves up about the things that may have contributed to our rejection, yet this practice only makes us feel worse. Many individuals react negatively to being rejected by thinking about themselves and coming up with all kinds of theories about what is wrong with them as soon as they get the news. Rather than worrying about what may have gone wrong and obsessing about your bad feelings, try this: (a process called rumination). Examine the event more objectively, asking yourself whether there is anything you can learn from it, and doing so with kindness and compassion for your well-being.
3.) Surround yourself with people that love you
It’s critical to remember that there’s more to life than one rejection from one person or object — and that there are a plethora of other people who are rooting for you — when you’re confronted with a rejection of any kind. It would be best to spend some quality time with friends and family to help remind yourself that the world has not entirely abandoned you. You should make sure that you are still feeling connected to the people in your immediate environment. For example, if you’re looking for ways to cope with rejection from a crush, you might want to turn to your pals for moral support and some quality time with your best buddies. Relationships are crucial because they remind us of all the things that we may have forgotten at the moment: How lovely we are, how much people care about us, and how deserving we are.
4.) Process your emotions
It’s critical to pay attention to how you’re feeling — and keeping a notebook is a terrific method to keep track of your thoughts and feelings. Writing down all of the feelings you’re experiencing — and then pairing them with the ideas accompanying those emotions — is one activity you may try. Simply by doing so, you are gaining some distance from the situation, which allows you to cope with the rejection easier since you are not entirely entangled in it. In addition, remember that while you are paying attention to your emotions, it is never helpful to feel as though you shouldn’t be feeling a certain way. Your feelings are never good or bad; they are just what they are.
5.) Practice self-care
We’re not really in the right frame of mind to think about rejection in the immediate aftermath since we’re in so much agony at the time. When you receive a rejection, your first feelings are likely to be anger and pain. However, contrary to common perception, expressing your anger does not assist in reducing the unpleasant emotion; it is expected to enhance it. During these times, self-care is essential: Exercising and going for a run, practicing yoga, or meditating are excellent methods to get into a more balanced state of mind, allowing you to think more clearly about the problem rather than becoming stuck in a rut of emotional thinking. And, if those things aren’t your thing, consider doing something that makes you feel good and helps you relax instead.
Concluding thoughts
Before learning how to deal with rejection, it’s essential to understand that there’s a reason why it hurts so much — and it has nothing to do with your being weak or overly sensitive. Someone rejecting us has a fundamental component to it, in that it goes against everything we believe we need to be successful in life. Rejection is a universal feeling, and the fear of being rejected is widespread. Nothing can compare to disappointment when something does not come out the way you had hoped.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: iStockPhoto.com
