Whether it’s by someone you have a crush on, an internship or job, or anything important to you, rejection hurts. Nothing is worse than feeling unwanted or not good enough. So here’s how to handle the embarrassment or negative feelings you may have after being rejected, because let’s be real, it happens to everyone at some point in their life.
Being rejected by someone you are interested in is well, really sucky. The series of emotions that often times can feel unbearable after being rejected can cause distractions in everyday life as well as sting your ego, and make you feel romantically hopeless. The first step in the healing process is to acknowledge how you feel. Don’t try to cover up your emotions. It is better to vent to someone close to you about how you feel than to bottle up and ignore your true emotions. Write out your feelings, or confide in someone. Any way you can express your emotions is a healthy way to cope. Ignoring how you feel will do nothing to help you move on. The best thing you can do is to face your emotions head on. In order to counter being distracted by the thoughts of your rejection that won’t stop replaying in your head, you must distract yourself in a positive way. Hang out with friends, go to the gym, do anything healthy that will relieve the stress and hopefully get your mind off of the negativity for the time being. Whatever you do, just stay busy. The best thing you can do in a situation of rejection, is to learn from it. Ask yourself questions: “Did I do anything that may have contributed to the outcome of the situation?” “What could I have done differently?” “How could I have reacted differently?” Learn from your mistakes so you can avoid making the same ones next time. Remember that everyone gets rejected and don’t let it bring down your confidence.
Getting rejected from a job or internship can make you feel like everything you have worked towards was a complete waste of time or it can make you feel like you aren’t good enough to fulfill what is essential for the job you were applying for. STOP wallowing in self-pity. That’s the worst thing you can do for yourself. Instead, don’t take it personally. Don’t use a job interview to measure your own professional worth. Just because you may not fit the credentials for one job, does not mean you won’t be a perfect fit for another. Stop thinking about the past, and all of the other times you’ve been rejected. It will only make the negative feelings stronger. Instead, accept the reality and realize that you probably aren’t the only one who got rejected from that particular job or internship. Rather than beating yourself up and putting yourself down, focus on your strengths, what you are really good at and passionate about. Try to expand your strengths after being rejected in order to prepare for your next interview. Lastly, don’t blame yourself. At the same time, do not blame the company or interviewer who rejected you. Take responsibility for your side in the rejection but don’t bring yourself down thinking that it was all your fault.
Bottom line, keep your head up and don’t be discouraged!