Rejection can happen in many different ways. There is the main sort of rejection people think of when it is mentioned, where you ask someone to be in a relationship with you and they decline. This can be really hard. There are other, smaller types of rejection though, which can hurt as well. I am going to run through some different incidences of rejection and explore how you can react that won’t burn any bridges and will leave you in a better place.
Let’s start with the usual scenario people picture when they think about rejection. You have a crush on someone, and you get up your courage to ask them out. It’s exciting, you’ve got butterflies – and then they say no. There are lots of emotions you might be feeling. Embarrassment, disappointment, maybe even some frustration. Take a deep breath. First of all, it is not their fault. Sometimes people aren’t meant to be, and there’s nothing we can do about that. No means no, and you’ve got to move on. Then, it’s time for some self-care! There is no better time to take some space for yourself than after a disappointment.
What if you are already in a relationship, and you experience rejection? Maybe you had an idea for a date that you loved, but they thought it wouldn’t be that fun. Perhaps you made an advance for some intimacy, but they weren’t in the mood. The same applies here, but you need to be extra careful about how you react. Don’t take out your disappointment on your loved one. Being honest and understanding is so important in a relationship, and it is even more important when you are feeling upset. How we act when we’re upset is the biggest tell about our true characters.
Let’s play out the date idea. If you already scheduled it, and it was a nice thing to do, why not take the time to do it yourself? Take yourself out for dinner or watch the great movie on your own. If you’re not feeling like any of that, just like in our first example, do something else for self-care! Maybe it’s a bubble bath or reading a good book. Whatever you do to make yourself feel better, do it with the best of feelings towards your significant other.
Rejection isn’t something personal, nobody does it to make you feel bad. It’s just what happens when you have different interests to the other person. We’re all different, that’s what makes life interesting! A good way to make sure you are on the same page as your partner is by looking through the ‘101 Practical Questions to Ask Each Other Before Getting Married’ on GoMarry.com. An open pathway of communication is crucial to every relationship. Rejection is something you can handle if you’re happy communicating with your partner. Who knows? Maybe they’ve felt something similar, and they could understand how you’re feeling. You won’t know if you don’t ask. What matters is being open and not holding hard feelings.
