Does rejection therapy actually work? - What in the World podcast, BBC World Service

What if the best way to stop fearing rejection is to seek it out? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM Rejection therapy - the idea of deliberately putting yourself in situations where you might be rejected - has exploded on social media. From asking strangers for favours to dancing on trains, people are documenting their experiences online. Supporters say it helps people build resilience, reduce anxiety and stop taking rejection personally. But does rejection therapy actually work? Or is it just another viral self‑help trend? In this episode, Claudia Hammond, a psychologist and BBC presenter, helps us unpack where rejection therapy came from, what psychology says about it, and why it’s taken off on platforms like TikTok. We also hear from Sophie Jones, who’s gone viral for her videos on the topic. 00:00 Rejection therapy examples 00:22 Hannah tries rejection therapy 01:20 An unexpected yes - sleeping in a shop bed 02:30 Hannah reflects on rejection therapy 03:23 Why this trend is growing online 04:26 Why rejection hurts us so much 05:46 Rejection and exposure therapy - how they work 06:31 A TikToker shares her story 07:30 The ‘benefits’ of rejection and how to handle it 08:30 Cultural differences in talking to strangers 09:32 Ethical concerns - filming strangers for content Watch more episodes from What in the World here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4eMOlGZclzdcHmv7s8BFQE6 Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Baldeep Chahal, Chelsea Coates Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #rejection #rejectiontherapy