There will always be critics no matter how much you try to avoid it. You can try hard to please people and prevent them from criticizing or judging you, but that usually means not doing what you really want.
The thing is, you can’t spend your life doing what people think is best or right for you. If you do that, it would mean limiting your full potential and preventing yourself from doing what your heart desires.
This can lead to frustration, anxiety, and even depression. Although it’s great when people give you advice, especially your closest ones, they can’t know what’s best for you and your happiness as you do.
That’s why you shouldn’t take their critics and judgment too personal or get into an argument. Instead, do the following things that will help you deal with criticism.
How to Deal with Criticism
1. Stay Calm
Try to avoid reacting right after someone criticizes you. Instead, take a few deep breaths to encourage full oxygen exchange, thus normalizing your blood pressure and slowing your heartbeat. In this way, you’ll calm and react reasonably.
Remind yourself that the person who criticizes you hasn’t walked in your shows and can’t know how you feel. Although what they say might be logical or partially true, consider it later when you are calmer.
In that case, just say that you appreciate their advice, but you’ll need some time to think about it. But, if the criticism is too insulting, don’t bother to reply anything. Leave the conversation and take a few deep breaths to prevent it from upsetting you.
2. Do Not Take It Personally
When someone criticizes you, the criticism has more to do with them and their point of view than it has with you. Insulting you tells how they feel about themselves and their abilities.
In a way, they give you an advice based on their feelings. So, never take criticism too personally.
3. Look for the Truth
Sometimes, criticism can be a gentle reminder of something real. It could have a small degree of truth that could make your ego freak out. In order to prevent that from happening, you should be open-minded.
Maybe you will find something that will help you see things from a different perspective. Sometimes, criticism can help you grow and improve, so always see if you can learn something from it.
4. Build a Tolerance to Criticism
It takes courage and strength to stay true to yourself and live your life the way you want despite the many critics. But, you have to get tough as there will always be opinionated people and their critics.
So, work on your self-confidence and your own inner love to know exactly what you want, and no one will stop you. Plus, if you don’t pay too much attention to critics, people will gradually lose interest to criticize you in the future.
Final Words
The next time someone criticizes you, listen to them without interrupting them, don’t respond immediately, stay calm by taking deep breaths, and tell them that you’ll need some time to think about their advice.
If you can get something positive out of their criticism, use it to improve yourself. But, if the critic is just insulting, ignore it and don’t let it affect you in any way.
Stay true to yourself and smile to motivate the person to moderate their approach, or simply leave the conversation. Just remember that it’s you that knows what’s best for you, and not them.
