5 Ways To Handle Rejection In Life

Rejection sucks. It hurts, it's confusing and it's darn painful.

It might be imposible to avoid, but that doesn't make it any less sucky. The first time I remember feeling rejection was when I was but a wee lass in primary school. Typical playground meanness and being excluded.

I was a sweet, goofy kid who just wanted to make people laugh. But that wasn't always accepted in the ol' school yard.

Alas, it wasn't the end of the world, and I learned that when you face rejection, there are often lots of things at play, and usually the other person's issues - not our own.

With that in mind, here are some ways to cope with rejection.

1. Try not to take it personally 

When we face rejection from a loved one or even a stranger, it can be jarring to say the least. You might question who you are and your actions - and while it's good to reflect and improve, sometimes it's just not your fault. 

Sometimes, it's the other party that's at fault - and people can reject you for many reasons: jealousy, fear, anxiety, depression, intimidation, insecurities - the list goes on. Try to remember that there's probably a lot of factors involved next time someone rejects you.

2. Take time to respond 

When we feel rejected it can trigger all sorts of emotions, namely anger and fear. This can make us react in a way that might not be productive or reflective of the reality of the sitch.

 Take for example a mate or crush not dm'ing you back. It might often feel like rejection, and you might wanna double message, but really they could be busy, having a bad mental health day, away from their phone or just not in the mood to chat. It might not feel good, but it's not reflective of you and who you are. 

Try taking a deep breath and distract yourself until your emotions are in check. I've been in situations before where I've had a knee-jerk reaction to a percieved rejection and it ended up being nothing - take time to process before reacting.

3. Take useful feedback on board

Sometimes, you might find rejection can help you grow and evolve - if it's rejection from a potential job, that might be a good opportunity to reassess what you can offer or the types of companies you go for. It's always handy to ask for feedback too so you can work on yourself - there's always room for change and growth!

4. Surround yourself with people who value you 

This one is really important: surround yourself with people who love, respect and value you. When we face rejection, no matter who it's from, it can really hurt. Whether you're going through a break-up or have been fired, it can be super crushing. 

That's why having a tribe of people who care about you, lift you up and love you unconditionally - in other words accept you flaws and all - can really help you to heal. It also gives you a solid foundation to be able to pick yourself back up again and keep truckin' on, killing it at life and smashing goals.

5. Value yourself

It might seem obvious to value oneself, but heaps of people struggle with it. High self-worth can come from lots of different places; setting healthy boundaries, choosing to surround yourself with those who won't mistreat you, knowing you are worth a lot and making sure you tell yourself that every day.

It can take a while to get there, but trust us - it's worth it.