From nerve-racking to welcome: How mindfulness helps people engage with feedback to improve

From Nerve-Racking to Welcome

How Mindfulness Helps People Engage with Feedback to Improve

Whether you're heading into a performance appraisal or waiting for a grade, understanding that feedback is valuable is essential for growth. Imagine anticipating important feedback: for professionals, it might be a review from a supervisor; for students, comments and grades on a paper. This waiting period often triggers anxiety, dread, and stress.

When feedback finally arrives, emotions such as shock, rejection, or confusion can interfere, causing disengagement from the feedback process. This emotional response can impact one’s well-being and self-esteem.

"Although feedback can sometimes feel painful, it might be the best gift to help our learning and growth."

Why Feedback is Important

Feedback provides an accurate picture of our current performance against expected outcomes, whether at work or school. It guides us on how to bridge the gap between where we are and where we need to be, improving our skills.

Without feedback, we're essentially stumbling in the dark. Clear, constructive feedback highlights both strengths and areas for development.

The Challenge of Feedback Literacy

Engaging with feedback effectively — known as feedback literacy — is a crucial skill but one that is rarely taught in educational settings.

"Feedback literacy — the process of engaging with feedback and using it to improve — is a skill that is rarely taught in school."

Author’s Summary

Mindfulness can transform the often stressful experience of receiving feedback into a valuable opportunity for growth by helping individuals engage more constructively and reduce emotional barriers.

The Conversation — 2025-11-06