Find It Hard To Handle Criticism? Here Are 11 Ways You Can Change That

When we humans are faced with criticism, we tend to get pretty defensive, and this leads to us handling it in a poor manner. Nobody likes to get criticised, or the one doing the criticising. More often than not we are unable to respond to criticism with nobility and detachment and fail to recognise that criticism is here to stay.

Criticism not only makes us a better individual but also teaches us things that nothing else can.

Here are 12 best ways to handle criticism in the best possible manner. 

1. Learn to be a good listener first.

Figure out if the criticism is a constructive statement or just plain rude. Only focusing on the hurtful aspects of the feedback will only harm you. So before jumping to a conclusion, one must determine and understand the message behind it.

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2. Perfection does not exist and you are not perfect either, accept that.

Yes, even Aamir Khan is not. Everyone has flaws and if you are unable to see yours, then you must sit back and analyze more about yourself.

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3. Remind yourself of the things that really matter to you.

This can make you less defensive in the moment when someone criticises you for a particular thing. If your recent performance at work is being criticised, think about how you helped a poor lady the other day. Because the values you care about will always shore up your self-esteem.

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4. See criticism as a sign of others’ belief in you and your abilities.

There is always room for doing better. And if you have that person to show you that room, you are more than lucky my friend. Remember school days when teachers used to give us patchy feedback even if we did well? Exactly.

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5. Take time and gather your thoughts when in that sudden moment of getting defensive.

Being impulsive does not help anyway. Those few seconds will let your adrenaline surge crest. One way to do it? Let them keep talking.

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6. Do not pay any heed to criticism with no justification.

This remains a painful experience for a very long time. Stay aloof and ignore this negativity completely. Taking your dignity along is the best.

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7. Don’t take it personally.

When people criticise they criticise one aspect and not us as a person. We can always work on that and can do better the next time. Like maybe, when your boss tells you to be more productive, he probably means that he wants his employees to up their game.

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8. Remember it is one person’s point of view.

It could be right or it could be wrong. Do not let yourself drown in that one opinion. Think and analyse if that is even worth thinking about. You know your strength and no one opinion can stop you from becoming the best version of yourself.

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9. Train yourself to be less sensitive.

You should start thickening your skin if you find yourself crying or feeling bad every time someone throws criticism at you. Each criticism will affect you more than it is supposed to if you remain a  sensitive soul.

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10. Use magical ‘I’ statements

“I hear what you are saying.” A statement like this is sometimes enough and best to handle any kind of criticism.

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11. Keep stress away from your life, in general.

When stress takes over, we can feel out of control and are unable to respond to criticism with a clear head. So keep checking your stress levels.

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Bonus: smile more.

It creates a more positive vibration and smooths the situation.

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Now be a pro, go!