5 Tips to Heal Depression, Anxiety and Sadness By Dunia Shuaib
A few months ago I watched one of the Dunia Shuaib’s speech on Youtube. She is on a mission to empower Muslims by integrating the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as principles of psychology.
Every morning we wake up and we check our phones. We check to see how many likes our pics got, our friends pics got and even frenemies got and then wee see what amazing adventures our friends have been up to and everyone’s life seems so perfect.
Oftentimes we compare our own lives with lives of others that we see on social media and then we’re saddened. We start to think about how we can mask our sadness and portray a happy life and social media has made us a little obsessed with this notion of having a perfect life. And when we don’t feel like our lives are perfect we become unhappy. And there are so many reasons why we are sad.
One of which is the fact that we’re forgetting that this life was never meant to be perfect. Every single one of us on earth is tested in one way or another.
And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient
(QS Al Baqarah(2):155)
Sadness and anxiety are a part of this life. Sadness and anxiety are natural emotions that Allah created in us and everyone experiences these feelings and a certain degree of worry and anxiety exists in every single one of us.
Allah created a wide range of emotions and that we will experiences these emotions even prophet’s Muhammad PBUH experience sadness and anxiety. We all know that Yaqub as was so sad when he was separated from his son, Yusuf.
We even know that our beloved prophet Muhammad experienced sadness in his life. There was even a period of time in his life called Amul Huzni. The year are the time of sadness and when experiencing times of distress we have to remember that yes Allah did tell us he gave us the heads up and told us that we were going to be tested but guess what at the same time he said
ا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعها
Allah will not burden a soul more than it can bear (QS. Al Baqarah : 286)
So know that you are strong and that Allah is telling us that we can overcome whatever challenges come our way and that the fact is that were given these challenges because he knows were strong enough to handle them and oftentimes we underestimate our abilities but Allah knows how resilient and strong.
He created us and I’d like to take a moment to clarify that depression anxiety disorder and negative thoughts are three different types of ailments but I would like to share with you a few tips to help us through difficult times.
I’d like to share with you five things that we can do to help ourselves or encourage someone else to do when they’re experiencing sadness worry or unpleasant thoughts and these five tips are from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW but also backed by the latest scientific and psychological research and there are so many factors in life that we can’t control but these are things that we can actually start doing right now.
1. Breath
The latest scientific findings are revenue revolutionary we can change the way we feel and change our emotions by using our breaths. The research suggests that certain types of breathing are extremely effective in helping with depression and anxiety.
Use your breath place one hand on your chest and one on stomach inhale 5 sec hold it and release it slowly do it about 5 times (it lower level of anxiety and sadness).
The research proves that doing that about five times just inhale holding exhale holding five times can lower your levels of anxiety and sadness upon the ledges I can locate or may Allah bless you so doing this five times can significantly help and learning to use your breath is a very powerful tool and you know what’s so awesome about this powerful tool you’re doing it anyways.
It’s free it’s easy. It doesn’t require any equipment or anything external and you can do it anytime anywhere.
2. Turning to Allah Through Salah, Dua, and Quran.
Many studies now these are secular scientific studies prove that prayer helps lessen the feelings of depression and anxiety and we all know that when the Prophet SAW said on was there was feeling sadness or anxious or he was going through difficulty he would rush to prayer right.
Allah gifted the prophet and gifted us all the ultimate remedy for anxiety and sadness and depression and negative thoughts and feelings and that is our five daily prayers right after thought.
Dua is also a very powerful tool. The prophet Muhammad told us that Allah is shy and generous. He shy that if we ask him for something that he wouldn’t give us it and he’s generous in the fact that he gives us more than we asked for.
The prophet actually asked Allah to protect him from depression and anxiety and he taught us to do the same every single day once he saw a man who was sad and anxious and he told him shall I not teach you something that if you say it Allah will remove your worry and relieve your debts and the man said of course yes ya rasulullah and the prophet SAW said say this every morning and every evening.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
O Allah, I seek refuge with You from anxiety, and sorrow, and weakness, and laziness, and miserliness, and cowardice, and the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.
Quran it’s a healer of the heart connect with the Quran daily. Make sure that you start from now even if it’s just a verse a day. Make that connection with the healer of the hearts with the Quran.
3. Look for The Good
When you do I promise it will grow each and every one of us is blessed in so many different ways and Shaitaan whispers and he gets us to focus and pay attention to what’s going wrong in our lives and to completely forget everything that’s going right so pay attention to the good and actually look for it.
Think of blessings in your life and be grateful for them. There are so many countless studies that prove that practicing gratitude does wonders for our mental and emotional health and it helps especially with depression and anxiety and when we practice gratitude.
We increase the levels of dopamine and serotonin in our brains which cause us to be happier and if you can’t think of something good that’s going on in your life.
I’m gonna remind you of this amazing hadith in which the prophet said no fatigue nor disease nor sorrow nor sadness nor hurt nor distress befalls a Muslim even if they were just pricked with a thorn except that Allah expiates some of their sins for that.
So when you’re going through a hard time if you can’t think of something to be grateful for be grateful for the fact that while you’re going through this hard time your sins are getting erase and remember that Allah proclaims he made an announcement if you are grateful I will surely increase you.
Pay attention for the good and look for the good when you do it will grow. During hard times your sins are erased and those who are grateful Allah will increase your enjoyment.
4. Smile
Many studies suggest that even when you force a smile it can lead to a change in your mood they’ve even done a study where they’ve asked subjects to put something in their mouth to force their lips to go up and through that study they found that even though it was forced it was a piece of plastic in their mouth their mood changed and they became happier just by faking a smile.
The prophet Muhammad told us don’t belittle any good deeds and don’t belittle even if you were to meet your brother a sister with a smiling face.
Smile or force it! It changes your mood for good also smiling at your brother’s face is charity sadaqa.
Remember that you have the ability right now to smile. Try it and remember it’s a charity right the Prophet SAW said to smile in your brother’s face or your sister’s face is a charity
5. Spend Time with Your Loved Ones.
Family support is so beneficial and when the prophet felt anxious, felt afraid was worried who did he go? He went to Khadijah ra and he found that support in her.
Allah created us as social creatures if you’re feeling sad, reach out to someone. I recently read a study that was very interesting they found out that physical touch from someone you know, someone you care about, can be as effective as antidepressants.
Spend time with your loved ones. Physical touch from someone you know or you care about reduce depression or sadness.
The prophet used to hug and and shake hands and embrace his companions and his loved ones and were even taught and encouraged as Muslims to do what to shake each other’s hands right the Prophet SAW some said that when you shake someone’s hands your sins fall.
May Allah bless you and your family with all the happiness in the world and hereafter. Love you guys ❤
Semoga Bermanfaat 🌻
ulissaragih ❤
