Give yourself a break!

This is what I'd like to say:
"Hey, how are things going with Project X? Do you require more time?"

What I have to say is this:
"Hey, how are you doing? I just wanted to check in on Project X and make sure everything is running smoothly. The deadline is approaching, so please let me know if you require extra time. :D"

To avoid coming across as unfriendly, I have to add extra meat to my rather simple and straight question. It's to avoid offending the receiver.

Which I deem preposterous as a concept. Why do we assume that the other person is deliberately being unpleasant to us rather than simply asking for an update?

This, I believe, has more to do with how we see ourselves than with how others treat us.

Why should you worry how someone speaks to you if you're secure in your work and know your worth? Given that you're speaking via text rather than in person, wouldn't you want to give the person the benefit of the doubt?

There's a good chance they were being kind, but owing to your mental state, you misconstrued things.

So much miscommunication occurs because we interpret something based on our emotions, then choose to suppress it, letting it fester, spoiling our mood and productivity, and then blaming the sender for failing to include an emoji at the end of their message.

Tell me I'm wrong.