Yes, we’ve jumped on the bandwagon with our own Dhul-Hijjah tips, but with a mental health twist. As a psycho-spiritual Islamic brand, we are all about promoting holistic wellbeing. In addition to daily spiritual habits, other forms of worship during significant periods of the Islamic calendar can have immense benefits on our wellbeing.
Essential to our mental wellbeing is a combination of physical and emotional health. Understanding how some of these spiritual acts also connect with and/ or support our physical and emotional wellbeing can:
a) provide greater motivation in performing these activities
b) help you to appreciate and value these acts of worship
Some of the practices we see today in the field of positive psychology have been recommended centuries ago – our faith has always been ahead of the game.
1. Walk a lot to remember those taking part in Hajj
Supports physical & emotional wellbeing: Exercising boosts brain functioning and overall mood.
2. Keeps fasts where possible
Supports physical wellbeing: Fasting has numerous health benefits including reducing inflammation and disease prevention.
3. Give charity
Supports emotional wellbeing: Giving charity is a major mood booster. Helping others is empowering and in turn, you feel happier and purposeful.
4. Uphold close ties
Supports emotional wellbeing: Humans are social animals. Good relationships are a psychological resource to stressful life events.
5. Perform good deeds
Supports emotional wellbeing: Conscious efforts to do good reinforces our personal values. This helps us to feel good about ourselves.
6. Pray, read Quran, recite salawat and remembrance of Allah (dhikr)
Supports emotional wellbeing: Spiritual practices is a form of self-care. Regular practice develops grounding and mindfulness habits.
If you found this helpful, please support our work and share with your network. Thank you. - Samia.
Samia Quddus (MBACP) is an integrative counsellor-therapist and is in private practice. She is a specialist practitioner with a background in primary education and Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Samia is a published writer for the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and is also author of Freya’s Funny Feeling, a children’s story that explores low-level anxiety via the butterflies in the tummy idiom. www.alpebble.com | www.taqdeer.life | www.freyasfunnyfeeling.com
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