Receiving difficult information can be challenging, but it’s an inevitable part of life. Whether it’s bad news, such as being laid off, criticism, or other unwelcome information, how you handle it can greatly affect your emotional well-being. It can also negatively impact your ability to make informed decisions. Here are some steps to help you deal with those times that difficult information comes your way.

Stay Calm: When you first receive difficult information, it’s normal to have an emotional reaction, such as shock, anger, sadness, or fear. Allow yourself to feel these emotions, but try to stay as calm as possible. Deep breaths or a moment of solitude can help you regain composure.

Seek Clarity: Make sure you understand the information correctly. If it’s coming from a person, ask for clarification or details if needed. Misunderstandings can lead to unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Give Yourself Time: Don’t feel pressured to respond immediately. Take some time to process the information and your emotions. This may mean waiting a few minutes, hours, or even days before you decide how to react or what steps to take.

Lean on Support: Reach out to friends, family, or a trusted confidant to talk about what you’ve heard. Sharing your feelings and thoughts can provide emotional support and a fresh perspective on the situation.

Journal Your Thoughts: Writing down your thoughts can be a helpful way to process difficult information. It allows you to express yourself without judgment and can help you gain clarity on your emotions and thoughts.

Consider the Source: Assess the credibility and reliability of the information source. Sometimes, people may convey information that is inaccurate, exaggerated, or biased. It’s essential to evaluate the source’s trustworthiness before taking any action. This is especially important when receiving criticism about yourself or your performance. And by the way, I’d recommend largely ignoring criticism that comes from anyone who’s advice you wouldn’t accept.

Evaluate Your Options: Consider what options are available to you in response to the difficult information. Assess the potential consequences of each option and how they align with your values and goals. This is not a bad step to take before you even receive the difficult information. For instance, if you were to be laid off what are your options? What are the immediate implications for your ability to pay bills and just survive? Where will you look for work? How will you reach out to your network and work colleagues to let them know you’re looking for work? Do you have a current resume prepared? Having a “just in case” plan can go a long way to limiting the stress that comes with receiving difficult news like a lay off notice.

Consult Experts: Depending on the nature of the information, it may be beneficial to seek advice from professionals, such as lawyers, doctors, or financial advisors. They can provide expert guidance and help you make informed decisions.

Practice Self-Care: Engage in self-care activities that help you manage stress and maintain your overall well-being. This might include exercise or pursuing hobbies that bring you joy. I don’t want to sound like a goody two shoes here but getting hammered is generally NOT considered effective self-care…just saying.

Develop Resilience: Building resilience is crucial for handling difficult information in the long term. Work on developing coping strategies, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills. These will help you better navigate challenging situations in the future.

Acceptance: Sometimes, you may not be able to change the situation or the information you’ve received. In such cases, practice acceptance and focus on how you can adapt and move forward. Understand as well that the difficult information is often not a reflection on you or your personal ability. It is more likely a reflection of a set of circumstances that are mostly beyond your control.

Take Action: Once you’ve processed your emotions and evaluated your options, take appropriate action. This may involve making decisions, setting boundaries, seeking solutions, or seeking further information. Taking action will do more to eliminate the stress associated with receiving difficult information then almost anything else you can do.

Remember that dealing with difficult information is a skill. Like all skills the ability to receive, process and deal with difficult information can be developed over time. It’s okay to seek professional help if you find it challenging to cope with difficult information on your own. Additionally, surrounding yourself with a supportive network of friends and family can make a significant difference in how you handle such situations.