Edited By Duha Hegazy
Graphic Designed By Maram Mohammed
Written By Farida Abu Sulieman
According to our human nature, we crave affirmation and praiseful words. We would all love to hear “You’re a genius!” or “You did such a perfect job”. Positive feedback always boosts our confidence and increases the belief we have in our skills. On the other hand, we receive negative feedback or comments more harshly. I mean, don’t we all feel absolutely challenged when we do our best job at something, and someone only sees and points out our mistakes in it, or even asks us to do it better? But the million-dollar question is, how can we cope with criticism without triggering our mental wellness?
First of all, we should all know that the main focus of criticism is to judge the qualities of something or someone and provide an opinion on it. And most of the time, that opinion comes straightforward and is not sugar-coated. But at the same time, we must be well-aware of criticism types as there are two, constructive and destructive. Constructive criticism has more of a motivating cheerful tone, while also being direct and informative. The aim of constructive criticism is the improvement of work and coming out with better results. While the destructive type of criticism usually comes with an attacking and maybe a hurtful tone, and that results in damaging self-esteem and developing insecurities about one’s skills. In order to choose a healthy environment for both our work and us, we should know these types and be able to differentiate.
Second of all, we could all use an opportunity to learn. And having someone witness your work, give an opinion, and pitch a new idea to you will only end up increasing your knowledge and confidence.
Lastly, in order to have the ability to accept and cope with criticism, we should be open to the idea and work our steps towards it. There are plenty of small steps we could start with, such as:
Remaining Calm
We should stay collected while being criticized. Because when a person gives us constructive feedback, they don’t intend to hurt our feelings or hold us back. Therefore, we must calmly focus on listening to it and benefit from it as much as possible without feeling defensive or attacked.
Cut Off the Toxicity
Don’t tolerate any negativity or bullying! Once you receive a toxic comment, leave that environment. To create and put effort into our work, we should stay close to positive and professional people who will assist us in achieving our goals.
Overcome Your Insecurities
You shouldn’t allow your insecurities to increase or take over you while hearing feedback or a comment. You should always believe in your ideas and your successful self while considering a critic’s opinion.
Experience & Learn
Enjoy and appreciate the opportunity of listening to people with different ideas and skills. Don’t let it feel like a burden on you. You can learn from people’s experience and work and maintain your positivity with it as well.
You can guide yourself with any of these tips into being more open and accepting of criticism. Do you have any other advice you’d like to share with us? We’ll be interested to know your methods!
