I know that I said that this blog will be about entrepreneurship and blogging, but I figured, this is my blog. I’ll write about anything I want. And I’ve got to enjoy the process. I mean, if you don’t enjoy the work that you do, it’s not going to be sustainable.
So today, I’m going to be talking about feeling sad and some tips I’ve used to overcome sadness. I’m known by my closest friends and family to be practical, pragmatic. I’ve had people call me unemotional.
Yes, I admit that I’m better at handling my own emotions than a lot of people I know. I am a very pragmatic person – I’ve kind of trained myself to get outside of my emotions and take perspective.
But I’ve had times where I’ve been sad, anxious, worried, stressed. And I know that a lot of people out there have these feelings too. So I wanted to share this post to tell you that you’re not alone. And if you’re feeling sad right now, I hope that I’m able to help you get through whatever you are facing through this blog post.
This is dedicated especially to those who I love. I know that when you’re feeling sad, it’s hard to get out of it. It’s hard to snap out and to stop yourself from feeling those feelings. So I’m sharing my personal practices that I’ve used when I’m facing worry, stress and anxiety.
- Istighfar
According to Wikipedia, this is what istighfar means:
Istighfar (Arabic: استغفار istiġfār), also Astaghfirullah (Arabic: أستغفر الله ʾastaġfiru l-lāh) is the act of seeking forgiveness from Allah. This act is generally done by repeating the Arabic words astaghfirullah, meaning “I seek forgiveness from “Allah”.
When we’re worried or anxious, those feelings of worry or anxiety tend to creep up throughout our whole day, no matter how many times we try to push them away. This happens a countless number of times in our day.
Every time you find your brain going to those dark places of worry and anxiety, say “astaghfirullah” to yourself. “I seek forgiveness from Allah.” You may find yourself saying it a thousand times throughout your day. And that’s completely fine. The more times you say it, the better. You can even add a little prayer after it – “Oh Allah. Please give me the strength to overcome this test of Yours.”
I have personally done this for myself and it has helped me tremendously. Sometimes we just need a little help to snap ourselves out of these emotions that seem to drown us. Sometimes we just need a little perspective. We need to remind ourselves that God is here for us. And maybe the worries that you have is God’s way of ensuring that we don’t forget Him.
2. Seek a friend or a family member to talk to.
Don’t ever keep your worries and sorrows to yourself. If you’re home alone and have no one to talk to, call someone and talk about what you’re feeling. You can even Whatsapp them if you don’t feel like talking.
Have you ever heard that quote?
Shared joy is a double joy. Shared sorrow is half sorrow. – Swedish Proverb.
I love this quote and I read it back when I was 16 years old. It’s absolutely true. I understand that some of us may think, “But I don’t want to burden other people with my problems.” Just remember, those who truly care for you want you to share with them. They would be happy to help.
Sometimes we just need to get all those negative thoughts out of our system. Talking to someone, or telling someone through a text message what you’re feeling will help get it out. I don’t recommend writing a post on Facebook or social media about it – people who don’t know you very well may judge and dismiss you. Find someone who you know that genuinely cares about you.
Sharing your sorrows to people who care about you will help to:
i) get the negative thoughts out of your system;
ii) someone who cares about you will want to make you feel better. They’ll likely say and do something to console you and put things in perspective for you.
iii) when you listen to yourself talking about your problems, you might get insight or perspective yourself. Having thoughts inside your head is different from hearing it being said out loud.
3. Try to be productive and focus on something that you’re excited about.
When we’re feeling empty inside, we will tend to feel like lying down in bed all day or doing something else to numb away the pain – whether it’s sleeping, eating too much or scrolling through social media all day. These are all acts of unhealthy consumption. They will not help as it’s likely that you’ll come out of these mind-numbing activities in exactly the same state you started out with – or maybe even worse.
Do something productive and healthy instead. Go out for a walk, either alone or with a friend. Create. Work on a project that excites you – it could be working on your business, cooking, sewing, drawing or writing. Be in the present moment and admire or give yourself acknowledgement for the work that you create.
Every human has the innate desire to create: we all want to add value to the world. Hence, we are all creators of some sort: Some of us are writers, painters, musicians. Some people scrapbook, take photos, make cool things with their hands. –
So there you have it. These are my personal practices when I’m feeling sad or worried. I hope that you’ll try to apply these practices the next time you face a trying situation. And you will face sorrow and pain – it’s part of life. No one ever promised that this life would be free of any suffering. We just have to learn how to manage it.
Focus on the potential that you have for your future. What can you do now to tap into the huge potential that lies for your future?
Big hugs.