Disappointment is a part of life that comes up when hopes or expectations aren’t met. All of us feel disappointment at times in our relationships, in other people, and in ourselves. It’s not an easy feeling to sit with, but there are healthy (and unhealthy) ways to cope with this unavoidable emotion.

It might be tempting to handle disappointment by avoiding it altogether. One way to do this is to not have expectations in the first place. But this isn’t realistically possible. Also, expectations are helpful for us in many ways.

Here are some healthy ways to deal with disappointment:

• Acknowledge that you’re experiencing disappointment. It’s tempting to ignore, minimize, or distract yourself from unpleasant feelings. But this can actually make these feelings more of a problem over time.
• Remind yourself that disappointment is like a wave – ride it until it passes.
• Adjusting expectations is the best way to cope with disappointment. If an expectation is rigid or inflexible, or doesn’t line up with reality, it’s easier to feel disappointed.