A negative situation is never pleasant. One can get in to an ugly situation when someone tries to criticize us. This could be the time when we can easily get defensive to prove ourselves right. But not many realize that the defensive tone could make things even worse. But there are ways you could avoid getting defensive in case of a negative situation. Here are a few ways you can avoid.
1. Focus on values – When you are being defensive, start thinking about your values and think about the values that actually matter to you and make you feel confident. When you think about your own values, you will feel confident and it will help you to improve your confidence and also make you feel that it is unnecessary to be defensive.
2. Think of criticism as a sign of other’s belief – Many people tend to take criticism personally. One has to take it as a sign of other’s beliefs. It could also be a sign that they have more expectations from you and also consider you as a valuable person. So criticism could also make you better.
3. Remain silent – When you know that you are in a negative situation, the best way to deal with it to remain silent. Silence is not just an answer but it loud enough to convey who is on the wrong side.
4. Take a deep breath – When you talk in a defensive mode, it could damage more than repair. You could start deep breathing which will calm your nerves down and allow you to process a better answer instead of being harsh.
5. Try reducing the tension in the situation– Instead of being defensive and saying something harsh, you could say a sentence like “Im not confortable” or “I can hear what you are saying”. This can reduce the tension of the situation and calm things down.
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