I feel dealing with criticism is more of a life skill that one needs to learn because everyone will face it at some point in life.
The first thought that I have is that learning to deal with criticism and enhancing self love are quite relating and go hand in hand.
I feel dealing with criticism is more of a life skill that one needs to learn because everyone will face criticism at some point in their lives. We might try to avoid it because it can feel uncomfortable, unpleasant and often quite personal, but as Elbert Hubbard has said “Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing, and you’ll never be criticized.”
Criticism coming from others has 2 sides- constructive and destructive criticism. Although both forms are challenging your ideas, character or ability, when someone is giving destructive criticism it can hurt your pride and have negative effects on your self-esteem and confidence. Whereas, constructive criticism is designed to point out your mistakes, but also show you where and how improvements can be made.
Constructive criticism should be viewed as useful feedback that can help you improve yourself rather than put you down.
Another type of criticism that not really comes from others but self is self criticism which is basically you thinking poorly of yourself or you saying negative and demoralizing things to yourself. You accentuate your faults and ignore your strengths and accomplishments.
Now, the important thing when receiving or dealing with criticism is, how we react to it. I am not going to give you any fancy steps to achieve this in a day rather I would ask you to sit with it.
What happens when you sit with criticism?
You get to recognize the difference between the two that'll help you deal with any criticism you may receive. When criticism is constructive it is usually easier to accept. So evaluate the critic’s intention and assess if the feedback provided is constructive or destructive.
When the criticism is destructive or made by self, here comes the role of self love. Usually a person with low self esteem or higher unrealistic expectation finds it hard to deal with it in a healthier matter. Thus, if you working on building that love for yourself you also automatically learn to ignore the critics that is not your cup of tea.
Transform criticism into acceptance by enhancing self love:
When something is not in our control, it is better we accept it as it is and leave it there and this is what self love does to the way we look as criticism. The more you are aware of your true self and you accept it as it is, it will come out as your biggest strength in not allowing external and internal criticism affect you easily.
How can you enhance self love?
Self love is the result of continuous process of unlearning destructive self beliefs and relearning more helpful and loving relationship oneself. There is no easy formula to it but certain changes in one's life can be helpful in the journey.
· Spend as much time as with yourself and connect with your inner self. Let your inner self and the child in you feel safe.
· Self discovery is a never ending process and the more you get to know about yourself, it builds up confidence to trust oneself over other person's remark about you.
· Practice self care by prioritizing taking "Me Time" often and indulge in self soothing activities of your choice.
· Practice gratitude regularly for yourself and your body.
· Be open to express your needs and feelings to self to create self-acceptance.
Trust yourself, be easy with yourself and you will see magic happen every now and then.
Written by- Sunaina Dahiya
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