How to Handle Rejection Without Making a Fool of Yourself

Rejection is something we all have to face at some point. How you deal with it can make or break you. Here's how to handle rejection with ease.

Rejection is a tricky thing to talk about because everyone deals with it differently. It's really hard to accept that, for whatever reason, a person chooses against you. It sucks. You feel kind of inadequate and that can upset you greatly. Knowing how to handle rejection, however, can save you from doing something you'd otherwise regret.

This is still something people deal with every single day. If you respond negatively to that rejection, it can mean very bad things for you depending on what the rejection was for.

How a negative reaction to rejection could be the worst thing you do

People are always watching you. As creepy as that sounds, it's meant in the sense that if you lash out, people will take notice and remember it. They'll be aware of how you react to upsetting situations and this can impact you negatively in a lot of ways.

If it's at your work, you'll be less likely to get promotions and people will be wary of you. If it's after you asked a person on a date, others will try to avoid going on a date with you because you'll seem crazy. Knowing how to handle rejection with class can save you in these instances.

How to handle rejection in the best ways possible

If you're faced with rejection - which you will be at some point - you'll need to be able to handle it with grace. Here's how you can calm your inner destructive voice and deal with being rejected, no matter the situation.

#1 Take a deep breath first. Just relax. Getting rejected is nothing new and if you just calm down and take a deep breath, it'll help steady your nerves. Usually, you're either really hurt or even possibly angry after someone turns you down.

Those emotions can cloud your judgment. Taking a breath and giving yourself a minute before you respond to someone will help you a lot. After you've gathered yourself, focus on a constructed answer. Think about what you're doing to say before you say it. Doing this will definitely avoid an angry response.

#2 Try to get the facts. Ask the person why. Get some answers. Rejection can often be very hard to deal with simply because you don't know why someone is refusing you for something. If you actually ask and try to get the facts as to why you got rejected, you might be able to handle it a little better.

If you're rejected for a job, as the recruiter why. Ask what you did to turn them off of you. Usually, they'll be pretty honest. This can help you better understand it and you'll also be able to change that very thing for the next time. Meaning, you won't have to deal with that again if you made a big mistake.

#3 Understand where they're coming from. Put yourself in their shoes. Based on their reason for rejecting you, would you do the same? It's easier to get defensive when you don't think about where they're coming from. If you think about the same situation but with you in the opposite position, what would you do?

This way of thinking can really help you understand the situation better. You'll let go of some of the hostility and insecurity if you know that you'd do the same thing.

#4 Be honest with yourself. Do they have a point with their rejection? Do they have a good reason for their rejection? If so, then be honest with yourself. It's hard to take a step back and admit that someone turning you down is right but it'll help you deal with the rejection.

#5 Accept it. You can't change it. In order to handle rejection with class, you just have to accept it. Put it in your mind that that's how it'll be and you'll be less likely to fight it. So right away, just accept that it's going to be changed and then decide how to act accordingly.

#6 Remind yourself of your worth. Being rejected will basically bring up any insecurity you've ever had - especially if you fail to get some closure on the matter. One way to make sure you don't make a fool of yourself is to just remember your worth.

Think back to anything and everything good you've ever done. Remember the great things others have told you, too. Don't let one little rejection deprive you of confidence. Knowing your worth and being reminded of it will help you learn how to handle rejection.

#7 Try to forget about it by staying busy. Stewing over rejection is one of the worst things you can do. You will absolutely do something stupid because it'll just keep eating away at you. Instead, go do something. Stay busy. Hang out with friends and try to put the rejection completely out of your mind.

If it's not vital to your well-being, then that rejection is nothing. It's just a bump in a very long road. Keep your eyes on the future and just keep trucking along.

#8 Talk to some friends. They're the best people to go to when you've been rejected. That's because they know your best qualities. They'll be there to tell build your confidence back up and you'll feel a lot better.

The next time you're rejected, keep your mouth shut and calmly go see some friends. They'll help you get through that troubled time and come out stronger. Sometimes we need our friends to help us see the right way to deal with stuff.

#9 Figure out if you're doing anything wrong. One thing that can make rejection even harder to deal with is if it's constant. You can't seem to get a job or a significant other, no matter how hard you try.

If this is your problem, I suggest taking a look at yourself. What are some things these people are rejecting you because of? If there's a single thing that seems to be the issue, try to fix that so you don't have to be rejected anymore.

#10 Just remember that it's a part of life. You can't really get away from it. Every single person out there has been rejected in some way or another. It's a part of life. If you got super upset every single time you were rejected and lashed out because you were mad about it, you'd be pretty miserable all the time. It happens. Just move on.

You're going to have to deal with rejection at some point during your life. Knowing how to handle rejection with ease will make things a lot simpler for you.