1. Take a Deep Breath (or a few).
The best thing to do is to not react right away. Take a deep breath, or a few, if you need. There’s actually a very good reason for this. When we feel attacked, we sometimes go into a fight or flight mode. Taking a deep breath allows oxygen to continue, it lowers our heart rate, and it allows for our response to be more calm and reasonable.
If you immediately react, and feel threatened you are taking the defense. This brings unneeded stress to your body. Remind yourself that they are not you, they have not walked a day in your shoes and you are doing just fine. If there’s a bit of truth to what they are saying, consider it later when you have a clear mind. A perfect response would be, “Thanks. Let me take some time to think about that.”
If the the criticism is a borderline insult, don’t reply at all. Take a few deep breaths and just leave the conversation. You never want to react harshly and regret it later.
2. Don’t Take it Personal.
In most cases, criticism has very little to do with you and more to do with the person and their perspective of the world. If someone offends you, it’s usually because they feel that way about themselves or their abilities. They are advising you based on how they feel. If you highly respect and trust this person, the next tip will help you. If you don’t, then definitely don’t take it personal at all! Let it go in one ear and just as quickly out the other.
See all 5 recommended tips at 5 Ways to Effectively Deal With Criticism | Photo credit: DncnH
