Permission to Be Human — Because Real Life Is Raw and Unfiltered

Thought For The Week

Self-compassion, as defined by researcher Dr. Kristin Neff, involves treating ourselves with kindness, recognising our shared humanity, and meeting our experiences with mindful awareness rather than harsh self-judgment.

A central component of this is common humanity — the understanding that struggle, imperfection, and failure are part of the human experience, not evidence that something is wrong with us.

In today’s world, this can be easy to forget.

Social media often shows us only the highlight reels — filtered photos, curated successes, and polished portrayals of daily life. In that environment, it’s easy to believe that everyone else is thriving while we’re the only ones falling short.

But when we remember that we all face challenges, doubts, and messy moments, it becomes easier to soften our inner critic.

This mindset shift is especially important in areas where unrealistic expectations and self-criticism can easily take over — and it lays the foundation for a more grounded, sustainable approach to change and growth.

Exercise Tip

When it comes to movement and exercise, it’s common to hold ourselves to rigid standards — expecting motivation, consistency, and progress to come easily, all the time.

But the reality is that bodies get tired, schedules get disrupted, and motivation naturally ebbs and flows. These fluctuations aren’t signs of failure — they’re part of being human.

Comparing ourselves to others can make it feel like we’re falling behind.

In a culture that often celebrates extremes — with the rise of intense fitness trends like Hyrox and CrossFit, and people constantly sharing their workouts on social media — it’s easy to feel like we’re not doing enough.

But when we approach exercise with humanity, and remember that setbacks, rest days, and even long pauses are a normal part of the journey for everyone, it becomes easier to stay engaged in a way that’s flexible, respectful, and ultimately more sustainable.

Try this: Not everyone’s training for Hyrox or smashing PBs. It’s okay if your version of movement looks different. Strength training, dancing in your kitchen, stretching, walking your dog — it all counts. And besides, variety can improve consistency and reduce burnout.

Nutrition Tip

In a world saturated with diet trends, ‘clean eating’ ideals, and perfectly staged food posts, it can feel like everyone else has it all figured out — except us. We often expect ourselves to eat perfectly, resist cravings, and follow plans without slip-ups.

Yet ironically, the more rigid and perfection-driven our approach becomes, the more likely we are to fall into cycles of all-or-nothing thinking and harsh self-criticism.

Research shows that this kind of inflexibility fosters unhealthy relationships with food and increases the risk of disordered eating patterns.

The reality is that hunger, cravings, social occasions, stress, and busy days naturally influence how and what we eat. These fluctuations are a normal part of being human — not signs of failure.

By embracing common humanity in our approach to nutrition, we recognise that everyone experiences setbacks, indulgences, and uncertainty. In doing so, we create space for a healthier, more compassionate, and more sustainable relationship with food.

Try this: When you catch yourself comparing, pause and remind yourself: “I don’t have the full picture of their life.” And when it comes to social media, if certain accounts leave you feeling inadequate or behind, it’s okay to unfollow or delete them.

Links & Resources

Book: Kristin Neff’s foundational book, Self‑Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself introduces the three key components of self‑compassion: self‑kindness, mindfulness, and common humanity.

Website: Kristin Neff’s official site offers free guided practices, articles, a self‑paced intro course, blog posts and community resources aal centred around self-compassion.

Book: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown, encourages us to let go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embrace who we are, imperfections and all.

Inspirational Quote

“You are not alone in your pain, your mistakes, or your challenges. To be human is to be imperfect — and that’s something we all share.”

Kristin Neff