Inside: What is Common Humanity? Advertisment.
Do you ever get angry with yourself? Negative self-talk and even blaming and beating yourself up? It’s easy to be tough on yourself, and we do it more than we realize, but there is a better way: accepting and practicing common humanity.
We’ve found that practicing common humanity makes forgiving and showing yourself kindness easier. With the proper techniques, you can even make it a habit that sticks long-term. Keep reading to learn more about common humanity and how you can practice it daily.
Defining Common Humanity
The idea of common humanity is that we shouldn’t see our struggles and failures as personal failings that cause us to isolate ourselves from other people who we perceive to be doing better than we are. Instead, we should view our personal shortcomings as aspects that make us human. Struggling in life doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you and that no one else experiences struggle. Everyone goes through struggles and challenges in life, and talking about it with others helps us understand that challenges are an expected part of life. Challenges and suffering can actually connect us and make us more human and allow more room for growth. In a way, struggles give way to evolving, commitment, and room for healthy change.
Practicing Common Humanity
Practicing common humanity means accepting and forgiving ourselves for our flaws. Accept that we aren’t perfect and need to show ourselves self-compassion and go easy on ourselves for having limitations and shortcomings. Another part of common humanity is realizing that we’re not alone in being imperfect or feeling hurt; rather than withdrawing or isolating ourselves, we appreciate that others sometimes feel the same. Helpful practices that encourage common humanity are below.
Embrace Shortcomings
Instead of feeling angry or remorse at things you can not do, embrace them and change your perspective. For example, let’s say you want a new car but can not afford it. First, a new car does not dictate you as a person and instead view it as something that makes your life easier. Second, instead of getting discouraged about not being able to buy it, encourage yourself to enjoy the journey of getting a car. Think of a creative saving plan and use this time to ask friends for a ride or help instead of stressing about not having a car.
Everyone goes through difficulties
So often, when we face hardships in life, we think we are alone and that no one else experiences anything terrible, and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The next time you struggle or have a bad mental health day, reach out to your closest friends or partner. Have a walk or a coffee with them and confide in them how you feel. You are not alone, and communicating with others and hearing their struggles can be beneficial. Every human on this planet will go through hard times and also times when they feel inadequate. We think it’s essential that this is discussed in conversations to be a reminder that you are never alone.
Self-Care
Last, the best way to practice common humanity is through self-care techniques. This could be meditation, journaling, or even mirror mantra work. This is work where you sit facing a mirror saying mantras to influence a positive state or to be used to embrace yourself. These could be mantras such as, “I am beautiful,” or “I am loved and whole.” Any self-care act that helps you to journey in and embrace your true authentic self is a beautiful way to practice common humanity.
Conclusion
While common humanity can be a beautiful practice, it does take some getting used to. We’ve found that it takes conscious effort to become aware of our mental processes. Still, practicing common humanity will allow you to experience more self-compassion for yourself. Hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you can include some of the tips and techniques in your daily routine.