18 May If you struggle with criticism, here are 3 great tips to cope better!
It's often said that happiness comes from within.
But there's no doubt that our happiness can be damaged from without!
Maybe we shouldn't let external factors influence us; but most of us do.
If, therefore, we want to enjoy more happiness then learning to manage the extent to which these variables impact on our mood can be very useful; and in particular, developing a "thicker skin" and better handling criticism is something many of us could benefit from.
So if this sounds like something you'd like to learn then keep reading below…
via the Huffington Post by Ellen Hendriksen
Just living in the world opens you up to criticism, but doing anything in the public eye, from writing a blog to performing your stand-up comedy to coaching your kid’s soccer team, will invite judgment and criticism. And doing anything truly innovative will guarantee it.
So how to brace yourself? Here are 9 ways to develop thicker skin and make the most of negative feedback.
First, how to deal with angry criticism. Someone is mad already and now they’re letting you have it. What to do?
Tip #1: Dig for the softer emotion beneath their anger. Angry criticism almost always mean the critic feels hurt in some way. Anger is what’s called a secondary emotion—it’s a reaction to a softer, underlying primary emotion like hurt, shame, guilt, or humiliation. First people get hurt, and then they get pissed.
But when you listen beneath the anger for the softer emotion, it’s much easier to feel sympathetic toward them. And while it’s hard to feel sorry for someone who’s wrapped her feedback with prickly barbs, try to think about what button you might have pushed. And then, do this…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE