I need to get better

I really want to learn how to stop taking things so personally, because I can see how much it affects me and I don’t want to keep reacting this way. Even when I know something has nothing to do with me, like someone being stressed, having a bad day, or just speaking in a certain tone, I still internalize it and it impacts my mood a lot more than it should.

I also really want to get better at accepting constructive criticism. I’ve noticed that my initial reaction is to become defensive, even when the feedback is minor or meant to help me. When I was working at Lululemon as a seasonal employee back in november, there were a few moments where a manager would point something out, and I would feel myself getting tense or trying to explain myself right away. One time my boss said, “you don’t have to be defensive, I’m just explaining what happened,” and that honestly stuck with me. It made me realize that this is something other people can see in me too, not just something I feel internally.

I don’t like that I react this way, and I don’t want it to hold me back professionally or personally. I’m am in grad school, going to medical school soon and becoming a doctor, and I know this is an area I need to improve so it does not affect me in that environment. It’s a field where you are expected to handle constructive criticism and grow from it. I want to be someone who can take feedback calmly, learn from it, and move forward without letting it ruin my day. Right now, I feel like I sometimes let small interactions affect me for hours, and that’s exhausting.

I’m really serious about improving this part of myself, I just don’t know the best way to actually change the habit. If anyone has gone through something similar, I would really appreciate hearing what helped you. I love reading and listening to podcasts, so I’m open to any recommendations or advice that helped you become less reactive and more secure in yourself.