The article below was originally published on the great website, TheMuslimahNetwork.com. I highly recommend that you check this website out, which has great ideas for both genders. 🙂
Whether it’s a negative world news event or a family argument, we all face daily challenges that affect our emotions. Here are five ideas to lift your mood when normal life brings you down:
1. Make it a habit to turn to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) when you feel a negative emotion.
Make duaa to Him and talk to Him in your own words. Use your negative emotions as a cue to turn to Allah, either through duaa, prayer, or dhikr.
As Allah says in the Holy Quran, “…Call on Me, I will respond to you…” (Qur’an 40:60).
If you can do this one step, you are actually using your negative emotions to worship Allah more! So even your negative moods can be good for you, SubhanAllah!
2. Acknowledge your feelings and do not suppress them.
Calmly accept your negative feelings, understanding that you are only human. Suppressing your negative feelings actually makes them stronger. Remember that our mother Maryam (رضي الله عنها) expressed her feelings during labour, and Merciful Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) did not rebuke her for that. Actually, He comforted her:
And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree. She said, “Oh, I wish I had died before this and was in oblivion, forgotten.” But he called her from below her, “Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream. And shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree; it will drop upon you ripe, fresh dates.”
(Qur’an 19:23-25)
After you acknowledge your feelings, find a way to deal with them positively, such as looking for solutions or taking a “time out”. For example, sometimes I feel irritated with my daughter when she doesn’t listen to me. I accept this feeling and then take a “time out” from the situation until I can speak to her more calmly.
3. Replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts – these are called “positive affirmations”.
Some examples of positive affirmations are:
“Allah has helped me in the past and He will help me now.”
“Allah loves the patient.”
“I trust in Allah. He is Good and Generous.”
“I have too much to be thankful for to allow this to bring me down.”
4. Read and listen to information that uplifts you.
Read/watch positive and inspiring ideas, such as articles on The Muslimah Network. 🙂
5. Pay attention to the little “helps” and blessings from Allah and feel thankful for them.
Remember the Quranic verse, “…If you give thanks, I will give you more…” (Qur’an 14:7)
Today, I was thankful for hot cocoa and a nice hot shower. Studies show that gratitude is the key to inner peace and happiness. So, what are you thankful for today?