What Is Rejection Sensitivity?
- Ashley Wills, M.A., RP (Qualifying)
- Feb 6
- 2 min read
What is Rejection Sensitivity?
Rejection sensitivity is when someone experiences intense emotional pain from real or perceived rejection. Unlike typical hurt feelings, it is overwhelming and often triggers powerful emotional responses.
The 3 Key Components of Rejection Sensitivity
Anxious Expectation: Constantly worrying about perceived or experienced rejection, even in situations where it is unlikely.
Ready Perception: Tendency to interpret neutral or ambiguous interactions (e.g., silence or unclear texts) as rejection.
Overreaction: Intense emotional or behavioural reactions to negative emotions (e.g., anger, sadness, anxiety) when feeling rejected. When the first two components are combined, the limbic system is kicked into overdrive.
How Rejection Sensitivity Develops
Social rejection affects the brain in ways that are similar to physical pain. However, individuals with rejection sensitivity struggle to regulate their emotional responses, making the pain more challenging to manage. This often results in emotional distress and heightened sensitivity to perceived rejection.
What Causes Rejection Sensitivity?
Critical or rejecting environments: Growing up in an environment where you were criticized or made to feel unimportant can train your brain to be hyper-aware of rejection. This can cause rejection sensitivity to develop as a survival mechanism, helping you anticipate and protect yourself from future emotional hurt.
Other Contributing Factors:
Brain Structure and Neurodevelopmental Conditions: Individuals with mood disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) or neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., ADHD, ASD) may experience rejection sensitivity due to differences in how their brains process information and emotions.
Signs of Rejection Sensitivity:
Physical Symptoms:
Clenched stomach or feeling sick
Racing heart or shallow breathing
Tensed shoulders or jaw-clenching
Emotional & Behavioral Signs:
Sudden, extreme sadness or anger
Overthinking or obsessing over small interactions
Avoidance of social situations out of fear of rejection
Engaging in excessive people-pleasing or over-apologizing to try to “fix” the interaction
How to Manage Rejection Sensitivity:
Identify: Become aware of your emotions early. Notice when you are on high alert or anxious and check in with your body for signs of stress.
Pause & Reflect: When you perceive or interpret a situation as negative, pause before reacting. Ask yourself:
“Is there evidence that supports my perception of rejection?”
“Could there be another explanation for this situation?”
Meditation & Breathwork: Practice calming techniques like deep breathing or mindfulness meditation. These can help regulate your emotions and reduce knee-jerk reactions.
Take Control of Rejection Sensitivity:
Healing is possible. It takes time, self-awareness, and practice, but you can learn to manage rejection sensitivity. Start by building emotional resilience through self-compassion, reflection, and stress-reducing practices like meditation and breathwork.
Empower yourself to respond to perceived rejection in a healthier, calmer way. You are in control and can decondition your brain's adaptive wiring to tolerate emotional distress.
References
Ehrlich, K. B., Gerson, S. A., Vanderwert, R. E., Cannon, E. N., & Fox, N. A. (2015). Hypervigilance to rejecting stimuli in rejection sensitive individuals: Behavioral and neurocognitive evidence. Personality and Individual Differences, 85, 7–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.04.023
Hafner, N., Pepping, C. A., & Wertheim, E. H. (2019). Dispositional mindfulness, rejection sensitivity, and behavioural responses to rejection: The role of emotion regulation. Australian Journal of Psychology, 71(2), 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12224
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