Rejection is an unwelcome part of life but there are things you can do to turn the pain associated with rejection into positive and productive action.
Talking Points:
- Everyone is rejected at some point, and it hurts when it happens. Humans are hardwired to feel pain when excluded so don’t be surprised when you feel awful in those times.
- The good news is you can persevere through times of rejection and come out stronger. Instead of feeling powerless, take actions to build your self-esteem and define yourself by your life accomplishments
- Maintain good physical health when you are stressed out and look for new social circles, clubs, team sports or youth groups that you can join and stay away from those that have rejected you.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- Reflect on a time when you’ve been physically hurt and a time when you’ve been emotionally hurt. Compare your initial reactions to each experience. What are some similarities and differences that you can identify?
- How do teens typically reject someone socially? Why do others tend to go along with the rejection instead of confronting it?
- What do you wish other friends would do for you when you’ve felt left out or rejected? What are you willing to do when you see it happening to someone else?
- Identify some of your recent accomplishments. How can you use those experiences to build your self confidence?
- What avenues can you access to broaden your social circle? What other clubs or organizations exist in your school or community that might be of interest to you?
- Take some time to read The Pain of Social Rejection on the American Psychological Association website to further your understanding of how your brain processes rejection.
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
