Dealing with Rejection: Your Emotional Recovery Guide

Dealing with rejection healthily is very important, as otherwise one may feel extremely low about oneself and the world. Rejections can happen during different phases of life, and the ways of dealing with rejection can vary from person to person. Some may be able to cope on their own, while some may require professional support.

Nevertheless, a rejection can be extremely painful, and therefore, it is crucial to find the right ways of dealing with rejection.

If you find the right way of overcoming rejection, then it can become easier to move ahead from rejection and growth can begin!

Why Rejection Hurts More Than It Should

As per certain studies in psychology, females may develop symptoms of depression as a consequence of rejection. Here are some probable points shedding light on why rejection may end up hurting more than it should:

1. Taking everything very personally and feeling low self-worth
2. Unable to reach out for social support and feeling lonely
3. Back-to-back setbacks can make one feel more hurt

Individuals often get rejection from a lot of places, such as rejection in acting, rejection in writing, rejection in singing, etc., and each one can have its own impact.

When Your Work Becomes Your Worth

A lot of times, one might associate their self-worth with the work that they do and therefore end up feeling very low if anything goes wrong in the work. During such circumstances, there can be a strong fear of rejection, be it when there is rejection regarding a business idea or getting rejected from a job – everything can feel very upsetting.

The Personal vs. Professional Divide

A few of the many roles a female may be engaged in include:

1. Homemaker
2. Mother
3. Sister
4. Daughter
5. Employee
6. Manager

The above-mentioned are a few of the many roles that a working woman may have to juggle, and therefore, it can be challenging to have proper boundaries between work and family life.

The Immediate Aftermath: Managing Your First Reactions

When one has a strong fear of rejection and ends up facing personal rejection, that is, facing one’s deepest fear, then some commonly experienced immediate reactions may include:

1. Crying uncontrollably
2. Blaming self or others
3. Feeling irritable or angry

The 24-Hour Cooling Period

A 24-hour window can offer space to process emotions and make informed decisions. During this time, the individual can engage in activities such as:

1. Exercising
2. Reflecting back
3. Exploring options

Healthy Ways to Process the Pain

As per the researches in psychology, there are a lot of ways to process the pain in a healthy way. These ways can include:

1. Gratitude journaling
2. Professional mental health support
3. Community support

Reframing Rejection: From Setback to Setup

Difficult times and hardships can become a learning lesson if one looks at them through a different lens. People from various fields face rejection, such as rejection in writing, rejection in journalism and rejection in college also; however, post-rejection, the way one picks oneself up is highly crucial!

What Rejection Really Means (Hint: It's Not About You)

Instead of taking rejection personally, an individual can try to explore what it really means and use that understanding for their betterment. For instance, a rejection might indicate scope for improvement in communication or time for upskilling one’s skills.

If a person becomes very specific with what needs to be improved and maintains emotional boundaries between rejection and their self-worth, then they can gradually overcome the fear of personal rejection.

Finding Alternative Paths Forward

As you are exploring healthier paths, you can also reach out to Athena OKAS to cope with diverse mental health concerns in a safe space that is specially designed for women. We have trained professionals who can help you overcome depression, anxiety, eating disorders, etc.

Our team makes every possible effort to make the journey of dealing with rejection a little easier for you!

Building Your Rejection Resilience for the Future

Rejection and growth may often go hand-in-hand when one has an optimistic perspective and a strong support system. Rejections are often a part of life in various ways, such as rejection from a romantic partner, rejection from a preferred educational institution and rejection from a dream job.

All these instances can be heartbreaking; however, they can also turn into lessons for the future, enabling one to develop resilience and improve self!

Creating Emotional Distance from Your Work

‘Your worth is not defined by the work you do’

The above-mentioned statement may be difficult to accept, but if you look closely, you are much more than your professional life. A lot of times, females may find it difficult to create an emotional distance from work, thereby giving in extra hours, energy and feeling drained.

To prevent burnout and ensure healthy boundaries are developed, one can try the following:

1. Specifying work hours and not bringing work home
2. Identifying that professional life is a part of life, not the entire life
3. Overcoming fear of rejection to work to feel at ease
4. Taking breaks as and when needed to prevent exhaustion
5. Seeking professional support if and when needed

Developing Multiple Success Strategies

Let’s together develop a success strategy for you with a specialised mental health care facility for women –Athena OKAS. Connect with us today with a call at +91 92890 86193 and let us support you in overcoming rejection and finding your inner strengths!