Discover why criticism triggers our defense mechanisms and learn practical techniques to regulate your emotional responses, transforming uncomfortable feedback into valuable opportunities for personal growth.

Criticism isn't actually threatening your competence or your worth as a person; the behavior being criticized might be the real threat to your success, and the criticism itself is the warning that keeps you safe.
Создано выпускниками Колумбийского университета в Сан-Франциско
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Создано выпускниками Колумбийского университета в Сан-Франциско

Lena: Hey there, welcome to today's episode! You know, I had this really uncomfortable moment last week where my boss gave me some feedback on a project, and I immediately felt my face get hot and my heart start racing. I just wanted to crawl under my desk. Why is criticism so hard to take?
Miles: Oh, I know exactly what you mean. It's fascinating how universal that reaction is. I was reading about an HR executive who got feedback about being defensive—and she was mortified because, as an HR professional, she felt she should be better at handling criticism!
Lena: Wait, seriously? Even HR professionals struggle with this?
Miles: Absolutely! The psychologist she spoke with assured her it's completely normal. Everyone who receives negative feedback—no matter how composed they appear on the outside—feels some degree of defensiveness. The difference is between feeling defensive and acting defensive.
Lena: That's actually really comforting. So it's not about eliminating that initial emotional response, but managing what we do with it?
Miles: Exactly! And that's where emotional regulation comes in. It's not about suppressing emotions but developing the skills to influence which emotions we have and how we express them. Let's explore how we can transform criticism from something that feels like an attack into an opportunity for growth.