How I Handled My First Internet Troll (and What I Learned)

Whelp, it happened. My first internet troll. Someone took the time to leave deeply personal, hateful comments on a number of my social media posts. I knew it was part of the risk of putting myself out there, but it still took my breath away.

I quickly blocked and deleted the comments, but the sting lingered. These three strategies helped me navigate the situation.

1. Approach the Situation With Love

After taking a breath, I asked myself, “What does it look like to respond to this with love?”

Hurt people hurt people. Someone who spends their energy tearing down others is likely hurting themselves. I chose to send love and forgiveness from afar, blocked them, and did not engage. I refused to feed their cycle of negativity.

2. Be Selective About Whose Opinion Counts

I’m a huge fan of Brené Brown, who shared how she processed online attacks after her TED talk.

She drew strength from Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote: "It is not the critic who counts… the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena."

I now choose to only consider feedback from people who are also in the arena, showing up courageously and doing meaningful work.

3. Guard Your Energy

Every thought and action shapes our reality. Wasting energy on negativity drains the energy I could spend on love, creativity, laughter, and growth.

I use the "5x5 rule": if it won’t matter in five years, I won’t spend more than five minutes on it. It helps me let go and move forward.

The Outcome

With these strategies, I got through my first trolling experience. It wasn’t as bad as I feared, and I’m grateful to have faced it early.

If it happens to you, I hope these strategies help you too. Onward!

Key Takeaways

• Online hate is common when you put yourself out there.

• Responding with love and boundaries protects your peace.

• Only value the opinions of those "in the arena."

• Guard your energy with tools like the 5x5 rule.