How to Recover From a Dating Rejection

Entering the dating world and facing the possibility of rejection go hand-in-hand.

While things might work perfectly and result in a fairytale relationship, you always run the risk that your newfound crush won't reciprocate your feelings of adoration.

If you've been dished a dose of rejection in your dating life, scroll below to see how you can recover and re-enter the dating scene better than ever.

Take Time to Be Sad

Rejection hurts—there's just no way around it. It's never easy to be told that someone isn't interested in you, but the first step to recovery is acknowledging that you are hurt. Refusing to acknowledge your negative emotions will only lead to more pain down the line because your frustration and anger is bound to catch up with you eventually. Instead, its better to take a little time to wallow at the very beginning. Grab a pint of ice cream, throw on a sad movie and indulge in a mini pity party. After you've fully embraced your sadness, pick yourself up and prepare to move on. Taking time to yield to your sadness will help to clear out those negative feelings and leave you refreshed and ready to try again. However, make sure that your sadness indulgence doesn't last too long. At the end of the day there will always be more crushes, so don't allow yourself to get too stuck on one person.

(Riverdale via The CW)

 

Analyze the Root of Your Hurt

While hurt feelings are normal after facing a rejection, it's important to analyze exactly where this hurt is coming from. If your hurt is stemming from loneliness or insecurity, it may be best to take a step away from the dating scene all together to work through those feelings before you start a new relationship. If your hurt is rooted in embarrassment, however, it can be helpful to examine exactly what your crush said that made you feel so self-conscious. No matter where your hurt is coming from, analyzing the root causes can reveal a lot about where you are in your dating life and what is best for you in the future.

 

Understand Rejection Is Not a Reflection of You

It's hard not to take rejection personally, but in reality it often has very little to do with you. In fact, rejection says more about the other person than it says about you. It's possible that the timing was wrong, that they weren't ready for a serious relationship or that they are unable to see all the amazing qualities that you have to offer. Whatever their reasoning might be, rejection is not at all a reflection of who you are. Be confident in your own worth and know that you have so much to offer someone, it just might not be the person you wanted at that particular time.

(Mean Girls via Paramount Pictures)

 

Know That You Can Do Better

In addition to understanding that rejection is not a reflection of who you are, it's also important to realize that someone who rejected you probably wasn't right for you in the first place. Anyone who is unable to recognize your value doesn't deserve you, no matter how badly you wanted to be with them. It's not that you should develop animosity or anger towards the person that has rejected you, but you should come to the understanding that there is someone out there who can offer you what this person couldn't. Once you come across someone who immediately values your worth you'll forget why you were ever so upset about this one instance of unrequited feelings.

 

Don't Give Up

The feelings of sadness and invalidation that accompany a dating rejection might be enough for you to swear off dating, but allowing a rejection to make you bitter or cynical is the wrong response. Getting lost in the negative emotions following a rejection will cause you to close yourself off and make it much more difficult for the right person to break down your barriers in the future. Instead, dust yourself off and jump back into the dating world. After all, if you never risk rejection, you'll never find someone you're truly happy with.

 

Facing rejection is hard, but rejecting someone else can be just as difficult. Click HERE for tips on how not to tell someone you're not interested.