How To Deal With Rejection
No matter how successful you may be, you may still experience rejection. Be it in work, family, love, or friendship, rejection is painful. Being rejected makes you feel like you are not good enough, and it often leads to thinking negatively.
Being turned down may stop people from trying to do something again, but how do you effectively deal with rejection? Although it is a painful experience, there are ways that you can bounce back and use it as a motivation to become better.
Acknowledge It
The usual response to rejection is hiding the fact that it made you feel bad. That may work for some people, but dealing with the uncomfortable feeling head-on is the healthier reaction. Take some time to cool your head. Rather than suppressing the emotion that you are feeling, acknowledge it. Admit to yourself that you feel sad or discouraged, and then you will eventually start feeling a little bit better. “People with a healthy self-esteem tend to view failure as an event. People with low self-esteem often view failure as fatal. This thought process pummels one’s self-esteem and overtime being a failure becomes their identity.” counselor Monte Drenner says.
Reflect On Yourself
Instead of blaming other external forces that led to that moment of rejection, try to reflect on yourself first. What did you do wrong, or did you do anything wrong at all? What can you do the next time to get a better result? After allowing yourself to dwell in your emotions, turn it into an opportunity for self-growth and a motivation to improve.
Ask For Support From Friends Or Family
“When trying to keep a positive attitude, you must avoid people who thrive on negativity,” says Fran Walfish, PsyD. Talking to other people, especially those you are close with, can help in clearing the mental and emotional block that you have been feeling. Surrounding yourself with sympathetic people will help you see things more clearly. As they can offer you another perspective on things, they can provide you feedback that you are looking for.
Talk To A Professional
Sometimes even if you open up to your family and friends, their words of encouragement may feel like a required consolation of some sort. Sometimes they do not offer the right words or advice that you need at the time. Do not be afraid of seeking help from counselors, therapists, and other support services to help you heal.
Build Your Self-Esteem
In Dr. Nikki Martinez, Psy.D. blog, she says, “If you are struggling with low self-esteem, it is encouraged that you seek some type of help and support to work through this issue, and to help you be the best version of yourself that you can be.” Let yourself feel the negative emotions, but do not dwell on it for a long time. Focus on fostering your growth. Accomplish things one at a time and build up your confidence to try on new ideas. Make a list of activities that you want to accomplish, and by the end of it, it will remind you that there are still good things left to look forward to.
Do Not Let It Be The End
Process all the things that have happened before and after the rejection. You may hurt for a while, but do not ever let rejection define you. Failing is okay, but do not be limited by it. Successful people did not reach their current state of life without ever experiencing heartaches first.
You learn from every failure, and it is a normal part of life. Learn from the experience and bounce back as a stronger you.