Wish your crush good luck and try to smile. If you were/are close friends, let your crush know you’d like to remain friends, and that you hope this won’t change things between you. It’s the best way to save face and maintain the friendship after getting rejected. [3] X Research source
Let your friends know you’re going through a rough patch, and ask them if they’re free to spend some time together. Some friends will make the effort to reach out to you, but other friends may need to be invited. If your friends don’t immediately reach out to you, try approaching them and let them know that you could really use some company. [6] X Research source
Invest in a new, high-quality journal. This will ensure that the journal will stand up to any abuse from daily use, and will make you more likely to want to use your journal every day. [9] X Research source Set aside time everyday to write in your journal. Try setting a timer to force yourself to write for longer periods of time. [10] X Research source Allow yourself to experiment. Your journal isn’t intended to be read by anyone else, so let yourself be open and honest. Give yourself permission to think things through on the page, as you’re figuring it out. In other words, it doesn’t have to be a perfectly thought-out and well-articulated document. It can just be a jumble of thoughts, feelings, or observations. [11] X Research source
Many schools and universities offer free counselors, or you can search online to find a therapist in your area.
Remember that even though rejection may be inconvenient and even painful, it is not a horrible, life-or-death situation. [15] X Research source Keep in mind that rejection is never permanent. New opportunities will always present themselves eventually. [16] X Research source
Never let someone else’s approval or rejection define your own worth. Remember that you are wonderful just the way you are. [18] X Research source
If your crush didn’t think you’d be compatible together, that just means that there’s someone else out there with whom you’ll be even more compatible.
Think about traits you would want from an ideal partner. Perhaps you want someone who is warm and caring, or maybe trustworthiness is more important to you. Shared interests or worldview is also a common trait people seek in a partner. Whatever it is that you think you want from a partner, figure it out before you start having feelings for anyone else. [21] X Research source
Emotional reactions are typically unconscious, and you can’t change that reaction. But as you analyze your emotions over time (perhaps through journaling), you can learn to recognize the emotional reaction that you have to a person. [23] X Research source
Think about the personality traits you find most desirable. Do you have a “type”? Does that type typically work well with you? Or are you only seeing the surface of people you have a crush on?[25] X Research source Trust your gut. If you find someone attractive but don’t have much in common with them, it probably won’t work out, and you probably already know this. Learn to trust your gut as you evaluate potential partners, as this will help you avoid getting hurt and rejected in the future. [26] X Research source
