Overcome social rejection

all hemYou have been rejected at some point. It could have been in a job position we applied for, a romantic relationship, at school and even for our family or a decision we made. Some people consider that overcoming social rejection is a lesson that helps them grow. However, another large part of the population can experience this situation as something devastating.

Overcoming social rejection can help us face ourselves. Furthermore, on many occasions we can wonder if this rejection is real or if it is more of a mental issue. Are they really rejecting us? What signs am I interpreting as rejection?

When social rejection occurs

The occasions in which a person can be rejected are numerous and range from rejection at school to rejection at work or in the environment in which they operate. Typically, children who grow up living in this situation become adults who are distrustful of themselves and others. They tend to have little ability to believe in the good intentions of others. They are generally withdrawn people or people who prefer to isolate themselves for fear of being displaced again.

When rejection occurs in adults, the situation can also be complicated. In cases where rejection occurs at work, people can become insecure and negative about their future work. This can cause them more problems because they will be giving negative results and they may finally be fired.

On the other hand, people who suffer rejection from their family or people close to them may end up distancing themselves from everything around them. This, in the long run, can cause more severe problems such as depression. Negative relationships and even suicidal thoughts in more serious cases can be recurrent. Therefore, it is important to face situations in which we perceive that we are rejected. Above all, because we usually equate it with our personal worth. A recurring but erroneous thought may be the following: “If they reject me it is because I am worthless”. If we feel identified with it, without a doubt, we must get to work.

Overcome social rejection

Leaving social rejection behind is possible if we have the necessary help. In this way, we can have a full and quality life. The most essential step is to recognize that you live or have lived that condition. This helps to identify all the feelings that have been generated within us. It is important that we be realistic and allow ourselves to see our mistakes at this stage in order to move forward and forgive those who may have hurt us.

By understanding the reasons why the rejection occurred, you must learn to tolerate the situation. This task entails that we learn to understand that we cannot always be well received or that not everyone will accept us as we are. In the same way that we do not always accept others, or will do so little by little over time.

When we are tolerant we realize that there will be many times in our lives when we will be socially rejected. This will allow us to let situations pass and learn to live with them and with similar moments in the future. By achieving this, we let go of what hurts us and we can continue with our daily lives without any problems.

The most important aspect for you to overcome social rejection is to continue with your life normally. Understanding that the past situation is temporary and its importance depends only on us, will provide us with much more freedom to overcome these types of events.

Consequences of social rejection

Jeffrey Parker (2006), from the University of Alabama, points out that social rejection in children can have serious consequences for their development. According to the author, this experience prevents him from learning to socialize, deprives him of social support and subjects him to stressful situations. In this way, the child’s socio-cognitive maturation will be impaired as well as the acquisition of appropriate social skills. So, over time, the child who has been rejected may show less sociable behavior and be more vulnerable to stress.

Parker is just one of many authors who have investigated the consequences of these types of experiences. That is why it is important to learn to overcome social rejection. The consequences it can leave in the medium and long term can be profound. Without a doubt, if we feel in that type of situation, going to a professional will be a great idea. It is worth remembering that we should not make these experiences synonymous with our personal value. Experiences, more or less fortunate, if we know how to work with them, can serve as great learning experiences.