Article: . When you feel good about your natural abilities, your personality and your other strengths, negative comments have less power to hurt you. You can take criticisms with a grain of salt and use them to improve. You can see right through empty insults. Building confidence is the best way to develop a thicker skin.  Do you know your strengths? Try making a list of everything you admire about yourself. Having a firm grasp on what you're good at will bolster you when you're feeling down. Get good at what you do. Spend time practicing, learning and always working to get better. That way you'll have a core knowledge that you're good at what you do. A criticism or insult won't have as much power to bring you down. If perfection is your ideal, every little comment can floor you. It's OK to have things you need to work on. There is no way to be excellent at everything you try, every time. It's not that you have to lower your standards for yourself. Just realize that trying your best is what counts, not perfection.  Being a perfectionist may seem like a good thing, but perfectionists tend to have thinner skin than those who allow themselves to fail sometimes. Perfectionists are also highly critical of themselves. Low self-esteem is often brought on by self-criticism, so be compassionate towards yourself. To let go of perfectionist tendencies, challenge yourself to learn something new. Try a new skill, sport, language, or anything else that interests you. Starting from scratch is humbling. It will help you realize that perfection is impossible. It's the journey that counts. Maybe you're surrounded by people who are critical of you. It can be difficult to see yourself clearly when others are holding you to impossible standards. The solution is not to try to change, but to spend time with people who accept you for who you are.  Pay attention to how you feel after hanging out with certain people. Do you feel refreshed and happy? Or do you feel worse about yourself? When you're with people who accept you for you are, you don't have to worry about being too sensitive. After building trust, you'll learn that your true friends will love you even when you feel insecure. Self-confidence is hard to come by when you aren't taking good care of yourself. Having a good self-care routine will help you feel healthier both mentally and physically. Your state of mind will improve, and you'll be less likely to worry about petty comments thrown your way.  Eat healthy and exercise. You've heard it a million times, but it helps. Make sure you're eating a well-rounded diet and exercising at least 30 minutes each day. Get plenty of sleep. Being tired heightens emotions, leaving you more prone to taking things the wrong way. Include meditation or yoga in you daily routine. These activities can help you to be more accepting of yourself. If you can't seem to shake the feeling that people are out to get you, it may be time to talk with a therapist. Depression, anxiety, and other afflictions can make it feel all but impossible to handle negativity. Make an appointment with a counselor to discuss your situation and get help.  Talk therapy can be very effective when it comes to building self confidence and a thicker skin. You may also come to accept that it's OK to be sensitive. If chronic depression or another disorder is troubling you, medication can also help. You'll need to make an appointment with a psychiatrist to discuss the best options for your situation.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Be proud of your strengths Don't try to be perfect. Spend time with positive people. Practice good self-care. Seek outside help.