Submitted on Thursday March 22nd, 2012
Receiving criticism is never a pleasant experience. Whether it is a sibling griping about how you care for a relative or complaints from the person you are caring for, you may feel suddenly flooded with difficult emotions. Perhaps anger, shame, or confusion.
We can't stop others from giving criticism. But we can become wiser about how to deal with it. Try these tips:
- First, pause. Criticism can feel like an attack. To avoid saying something you'll regret, stall with a remark such as, "Hmmm. That's an interesting comment."
- Then, explore. Without denying it or buying into it, get clarification. "Just to be sure I understand, you are concerned about how I ____ ?" or, "You would like me to ____?"