Criticism – Why it Hurts and What to Do About It

One of the great challenges in life is dealing with critics and criticism.

Question:

I am dreading my upcoming performance evaluation. I hate hearing anything negative about my job. What can I do to prepare for this conference and not react so negatively to what my boss has to say?

Answer:

Criticism in any form hurts. But it doesn’t have to be this way. For instance, constructive criticism is very helpful and can help you make vast improvements. The key to dealing with criticism is to have a good feeling about yourself. The reason criticism hurts is because it validates how you feel about your life. When you hear criticism, try digging a little deeper than the surface to better understand.

Criticism Worksheet

This Criticism – Why it Hurts and What to Do About It Worksheet will help you discover how to respond to criticism.

Fill out the form below and you can download the completed worksheet to follow and review. Your answers will help you better respond to criticism.

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One of the great challenges in life is dealing with critics and criticism. Criticism seems to be a constant in life. There’s no hiding from it, so it’s vital to learn how to deal with it effectively. Good criticism is rare, but a truly a gift. Constructive criticism can take years off your learning curve and bring success much sooner.

Answer these questions to gain a better perspective of how to get the most from the critics in your life. When you're done, hit submit and the completed form will be ready to download [right-click-save] so you can better understand how criticism affects you.

Why do I dislike criticism? What about it makes me feel threatened or otherwise upset?

Who are the regular critics in my life? What types of critics are they? How should I handle them?

How mindful am I? What can I do each day to be more mindful?

How resilient am I? How would my life change if I were twice as resilient?

How have I dealt with criticism in the past? What have been the advantages and disadvantages?

Who do I have in my life that offer constructive criticism regarding my current goals?

Who are the irrelevant critics in my life? What is my strategy for dealing with them?

What is my plan going forward for dealing with critics, rejection, and criticism?

After answering these questions, you can better understand criticism and how you react to it. Your answers will reveal your new, more positive, outlook!