Getting rejected by a crush always feels like the most humiliating experience. One moment you’re staring at your messages, wondering when they’ll reply, and the next you’re realizing that you interpreted every interaction wrong and they don’t like you the way you like them.

Rejection always hurts. However, you can’t stay hung up on the same person forever. You need to learn to cope with rejection and get over people who don’t deserve you. To help you get over this, here are four methods for coping:

1. Restrict them on social media

The first thing you should do when you get rejected is restrict them on social media. Since a lot of people post everything they do on Instagram or TikTok, you will be able to see your crush going out with their friends and being happy and unaffected, while you’re sitting in a dark room with a big pile of tissues in front of you.

Just block them.

Don’t worry about hurting their feelings. Put yourself and your happiness first.

2. Do comfort stuff

Once you block your unrequited crush on social media, you should allow yourself a few days to be sad and angry. Admit the fact that you are feeling down because of the rejection, and get over it by doing stuff that makes you happy. According to an article from Psychology Today, suppressing your emotions is bad because doing this can cause many mental health issues, including depression, and sleeping problems. Therefore, you shouldn’t pretend to be fine when you actually aren’t.

Furthermore, the most satisfying way to be sad and angry is to eat as much junk food as possible, and not do anything productive. You should just lie in bed watching comforting TV shows while crying and stuffing your face with chocolate and ice cream. Forget your schedule and your to-do list and just relax for a few days.

3. Talk to friends who will support you

When people, especially teenagers, get rejected by their crushes, they often blame themselves, which impacts their self-esteem. This is because teens usually have lower confidence than adults, and kids think that they get rejected because they aren’t charismatic, pretty, handsome, or smart enough.

However, when you talk to your friends about getting rejected, they will help you put things into perspective. They will tell you all about your crushes’ flaws, and convince you that you are better off without them. And despite the fact that you know their evaluations are incredibly biased, knowing there are people who will be on your side no matter what can make anyone feel better.

For example, when I was sad about my crush liking someone else, my friends took me to dinner, and they listened to me talk and cry until three in the morning. They assured me that my crush was blind for not being able to see how good I was, and that I was way out of his league and I should be happy for not shackling myself to a mediocre guy. They never made me feel like they were annoyed with me for wasting their time, and the only thing I felt from them was a deep concern for my happiness and well-being.

4. Distract yourself with hobbies

After you’ve spent a few days crying to your friends and watching TV, you should start building yourself back up and forgetting about your crush. The best way to do that is to distract yourself with hobbies. Start painting, crocheting, reading, baking, or playing video games. Do whatever. Do the things you haven’t had time to do because you were obsessing over your crushes’ every text.

Furthermore, exercising is an effective method of coping with rejection. When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins, and they make you feel happier. Go lift weights, swim, do yoga, or pilates. Also, set goals for yourself to make you feel strong and confident, and give yourself a sense of accomplishment. Another benefit of exercising is looking hotter. Even though you don’t have to prove anything to your former crush, taking sexier and more confident pictures of yourself to post on Instagram – and showing everyone what your ex-crush is missing out on – never hurts.

5. Move on

The most important thing to do when getting over your former crush is to move on and date someone else. Open your Pinterest or Instagram and look at pictures of attractive guys and girls out there. Make yourself remember that your ex-crush isn’t the only person out there, and that there are plenty of cuter people you can obsess over.

Start flirting with other people and even go on a rebound date. Even if you don’t really like them, you will have had a good meal and made a new acquaintance, and have reminded yourself that you’re interesting and likeable.

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Almost everyone has experienced rejection before, and everyone knows that rejection never feels good, especially when coming from the item of your infatuation. However, obsessing over someone who has rejected you is a waste of your time and energy, which is why you should start facing your feelings and forgetting about the people who don’t deserve to be in your life. So, start the process of removing that idiot from your brain.