15 Ways To Deal With Rejection In A Relationship
The better you learn to deal with rejections, the smoother will be the path ahead.
Specialty: Yoga TherapyExperience: 12 yearsKintla Striker is the creator of the KYT (Kintla Yoga Therapy) Method of yoga. She created her own style of yoga in 2009 after garnering decades of experience and with self-practice. A research report on this method was presented at Harvard Medical School in 2018.
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In This Article
Being in love is an amazing feeling, but when your feelings aren’t reciprocated, you may not be able to comprehend how to deal with rejection.
If you are in love with a person, but they do not love you back, you may be left agonized and depressed. However, you need to understand that these feelings will not last long, and you must try to move out of the situation. Though it seems like you will never get over them, sooner or later, you will move on.
This post offers some effective ways to deal with rejection and move on with a positive perspective about life.
15 Ways To Deal With Rejection
1. Accept your feelings
Your friends and family members may console and encourage you, but it’s you who has to come to terms with what has happened.
You may experience a range of emotions, including discomfort, embarrassment, hurt, grief, loneliness, and dejection. The best way to deal with these emotions is to begin acknowledging them. This is a first step towards healing yourself after heartbreak.
2. Don’t blame yourself
Having a crush or falling in love is a natural feeling that comes from the heart. How you may suddenly feel and act in a romantic relationship is often not entirely conscious.
3. Don’t take it too personally
Though feeling rejected is personal, you should understand that it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. We are all different and it could be something as simple as the time not being right. Feeling rejected may be a new experience and ultimately may make you wiser and better prepared for other challenges in life.
4. Practice self-care
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” — Oprah Winfrey
It’s essential to take a break and take care of yourself when you are hurt; just the way you do when you go through physical pain. It could be going for a walk, practicing yoga, meditating, listening to music, painting, baking, or just enjoying time with a friend.
5. Indulge in good habits
Engage in activities that help bring out your better self. Notice what you like and don’t like. Try to keep a check on what you are eating, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, make time for yourself, read books, watch movies, work out, dance, and engage in activities that can help you grow as a person.
6. Spend time with supportive people
Being in the company of people who care and love you can provide comfort, support, and motivation.
7. Don’t mask your fears
“Nothing in life is to fear. It is only to be understood.” — Marie Curie
You might be afraid to move on after feeling rejected and you may even have some insecurities. Fear can prevent you from seeing what’s ahead in life, the possibilities, and it can manifest into destructive thoughts. Remind yourself that fear is a normal emotion that can go hand-in-hand with feeling rejected, but living and operating from a place of fear, can limit and even preclude growth and progress.
8. Restore your self-esteem
Feeling rejected might leave you experiencing some self-doubt. Healing from mental and emotional wounds can help seregain confidence. One of the best ways to do this is by noting and even writing down your positive attributes. Make a list of the qualities that make you proud. It could be your kindheartedness, reliability, communication skills, or simplicity. It may help to remind you that you are a valuable person with strong self-worth as well as helping you not focus on negative emotions or negative self-talk.
9. Set goals
Build your self-confidence by setting goals. For instance, if you enjoy baking, then practice baking different varieties of desserts and keep improving. Strengthening your qualities will serve as a natural painkiller and keep you away from negative feelings.
10. Make connections
One of the ways to deal with rejection is to make new connections. It will shift your attention. You can try visiting local social clubs, book clubs, or charitable organizations and make new friends and acquaintances. Developing new friendships can help heal the wounds from a relationship that didn’t work out.
11. Love yourself
“Respect yourself, love yourself, because there has never been a person like you and there never will be again.” — Osho
Self-approval matters a lot. When you respect and love yourself, it becomes easy to override the negative emotions related to rejection. Once you are conscious of abundance, you can bounce back to your healthy life. Try to focus on the gifts you have; it could be your family, job, or any other good things. Pursue the good things and embrace your life.
12. Don’t stop yourself
Learn from what happened, and don’t let rejection stop you from anything. Take your time to process the emotions, but don’t get frozen for months. Focus on your individuality and life and keep trying different things that would make you happy. Start with baby steps, and in case you fall, get up and move again. But don’t stop.
13. Talk to a professional
If you are unable to get help from your closed ones or hesitant to talk to your family or friends, seek help from a therapist. A professional can understand what you are going through and would offer you the right support. Their words would help you get away from the distress and anxiety, and make your move towards positivity.
14. Note that it’s temporary
Nothing is permanent in the world. The feelings of agony, awkwardness, embarrassment, and depression would fade away with time. Once you understand it, moving ahead in life becomes easier. Yes, it is difficult but not impossible.
15. Stay positive
Thinking it over again and again or going through the negative emotions could hurt you. Sometimes, even when you are on track or working on self, those feelings could pop up. That’s why it is important to stay positive. Remember, it is a single rejection, and you will always have opportunities to find true love in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the stages of rejection in a relationship?
Handling grief from rejection in a relationship is difficult. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are the five stages of grief. These stages are an effort to process and deal with your emotions and circumstances as you adapt to the new situation (1).
2. What does rejection do to a person?
Rejection can cause a cascade of emotions such as anger, anxiety, jealousy, sadness, and depression. It can reduce one’s focus on intellectual matters and make them impulsive and aggressive. It may make one feel incompetent, unlovable, and worthless.
There are times when you love a person, but your feelings are not reciprocated. Rejection may make you feel sad and lonely. You may start questioning your worth. However, the important thing to remember is that rejections are a part of life, just like anything else. Do not take them so seriously that they create havoc and stop you from moving on the path of progress. Knowing how to deal with rejection will make things easier for you. The only way to simplify things is by staying grateful, optimistic, and happy in every situation.
Key Pointers
- Rejection can be hurtful and agonizing, but accepting it and moving on is essential.
- Accepting your feeling and practicing self-care are a few ways to deal with rejection effectively.
- Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if needed to move on easily.
References
- The Stages of Grief: Accepting the Unacceptable
https://www.washington.edu/counseling/2020/06/08/the-stages-of-grief-accepting-the-unacceptable/#:~:text=Persistent%2C%20traumatic%20grief%20can%20causeadapt%20to%20a%20new%20reality.
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Read full bio of Kintla Striker
