We don't think we are worthy of kindness & praise from others, so declining compliments is a natural response. But this only perpetuates the negative views we have of ourselves & insults those giving us compliments. I have 5 tips on how to better accept compliments.

Show Notes:

Maybe this is the same with you, but I tend to go into deflection mode when given a compliment. Someone will say something really nice & I will immediately find a way to deflect it. I will be like, “Oh, it’s because of so and so.” “It’s no big deal.” “Oh. (silence)” It’s really embarrassing, actually. And the few times I have given a better response & actually received the compliment, I feel so weird afterward. 

And this is actually common with people that have a hard time accepting compliments. And it can be for a number of reasons, like social anxiety, low self-esteem & low self-worth. It can also be because you don’t want to feel full of yourself or conceited by confirming the compliment. But I think one of the most notable reasons we struggle to accept compliments is due to our low self-esteem. The way we see ourselves also doesn’t align with how the people who compliment us see us. We don’t see ourselves as worthy enough of receiving any type of positive words or praise.

Let’s also consider the different ways we respond to compliments when it happens. Many people will deflect the compliment, like I mentioned before, by drawing attention to something else, away from yourself. You could also respond by insulting yourself, which would be saying that what you’re wearing is terrible or you’re not that good at what you did. Next possibility is denying the compliment altogether by saying that you didn’t do what they are complimenting you for. But my favorite one, which I sometimes lean into, is asking for reassurance in whatever they complimented you on. This would be like someone telling you your presentation was fantastic & you responding with asking them if they really felt that way & how you felt like it fell apart completely.

Regardless how you respond to a compliment, if you aren’t finding a gracious way to accept it, then you’re doing it wrong. I completely understand that you may struggle with this because of how you feel about yourself, but by not accepting the compliment, you are insulting the person that gave it. You are throwing away the kindness & generosity of the person that took time out of their day to say something they probably thought would lift you up. And this may not be as important to you, but by disregarding a compliment, you also present as someone who isn’t confident in themself.

This all brings me to what I want to share with you today, How to Accept A Compliment.

1. Say a Simple ‘Thank You’
2. Don’t Diminish Yourself By Giving Them a Bigger Compliment
3. Remember It’s Ok to Be Good At Things
4. Practice Accepting Compliments By Giving Yourself Compliments
5. Do Not Downplay Compliments (It’s not a big deal or it was nothing)

Thank you again for listening & I hope this episode was helpful.

Come visit me on my Instagram page @sabrinajoyperozzo.

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