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How to Counter the Winter Blues

2/23/2024

How to Counter the Winter Blues
Author: Ams

With the days having been shorter and darker earlier, it may have been mentally draining, making us feel tired and possibly wanting to sleep early (guilty as charged – that’s me, I do go to bed early). The darkness can sometimes make us feel like we are close to bedtime and make us feel sleepy and tired. How can we have productive evenings after coming home from work, or school, so that we have a balance of rest and some productivity? Here are a few tips that can help you balance that energy to centre yourself.

Epsom Salt Bath/Book: Getting into a warm tub filled with beautiful scents can help you feel relaxed and release the tension and toxins from your body. It’s a great way to de-stress and even practice some mindfulness. Feel the stillness of the water, or the waves as you move your hands and arms around. Reading a book while in the tub is a nice way to let your mind drift into a novel or challenge your brain to think with a non-fiction book.

SAD lamp: These lamps, I have heard, are helpful to use when feeling the blues, also called the Seasonal Affective Disorder. From what I know, you can purchase the lamps from anywhere; one popular platform is Amazon. Usually the recommendation is to spend about 10 or more minutes under the SAD lamp, which helps to stabilize the mood. It is helpful to some, but not everyone.

Exercise: Exercising strikes a great balance from resting mode, to an active mode to allow your body to release endorphins that make you feel happy. Some people go to the gym, others exercise at home, some even take on winter sports like skating and skiing. There are some apps like FitOn for example, that have a collection of various exercises that one can partake in, in the comfort of their home. You can even get your roommate or family members involved in exercising with you.

Hobbies: Everyone likes to enjoy a bit of free time to do things they enjoy. Sometimes winter is a great time to take up new projects, learn a new skill or discover a hidden talent. Baking is a popular hobby that people enjoy to de-stress as they work with their hands and creativity. It keeps the mind busy. Others take on other arts/crafts activities to busy their hands and minds such as knitting, drawing, sculpting. Brain teaser activities like sudoku and crossword puzzles are a great way to tease the mind.

Bedtime Routine: According to the book called Atomic Habits, habit stacking and creating a bedtime routine is a great way to establish positive habits that are productive, and bite-sized. Having a night skin care routine after brushing your teeth can allow you to feel refreshed, and proactive in taking care of your skin. Pairing night routines with a little prayer, gratitude journal, or a book to read before bed is a great way to quiet the mind. It’s important to keep away from screen time when trying to sleep, as it can cause sleep disturbances.

The list above is not a comprehensive list of things you can do when feeling the blues during winter, or when trying to figure out how to schedule your evenings so that you feel rested and productive. I did not mention medication; however that is something you can discuss with your doctor.

With Warmest Regards,

Ams

Heartbreak Vol 1.

2/9/2024

Heartbreak Vol. 1
Author: Ifrah Ismail

In that instant, when I first saw her walking by, I never thought that her qadr (decree) was fated to come back to mine. For one of the most pivotal moments of her life and now mine, she returned with a fiery spirit; I could see it in her blood and motions. I saw passion and rage, but something much sadder beneath the surface. I saw the ropes of pain pulling at her heartstrings as she remained fervent and lively. That passion would soon wash away, like the tide at the shoreline receding on a hot summer day, moments before danger encroached. This was the final warning, the last sign before the floodgates gave in and destroyed everything in its way.

As she spoke the words that sealed our fates, the masses around me disappeared, and although we had the audience of a bustling, congested crowd on the busiest street, all I heard were her words. Then, the deafening silence that followed as the ticking seconds played, as my mind attempted to comprehend the small sentence, the simple rhyme of words all said in a single breath, only five consonants and only 3 seconds to say, yet it's still taking me weeks to digest. The taste of it I verily detest, but slowly, I came to the realization of the words she had said. It was as if she and I were in a vacuum; she was speaking, and I was listening, but I couldn't hear her; I was mostly just reading her lips, her wide red eyes dripping, painting her cheeks.

All I heard was white noise, and all I saw was heartbreak and tears.

As her lips read, "All of them are Dead."

In silent supplication and whispered prayers, we held each other on that street; what else can you do when a tidal wave of grief hits you, and your only comfort is in the arms of a stranger?

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

2/2/2024

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

Written By: Ifrah Ismail

I remember vividly the first time I recognized a miracle of Allah Azzawajal. One summer, I left the oven stove on for too long after cooking. While holding plastic tongs, my hand grazed the burner. I expected to feel a searing burn, but I didn't. I saw melted plastic on the tongs and burnt skin cells on my hand. They looked like white flakes, but I felt no pain. It was hard to believe that my hand had touched a 200-degree stove and come out unscathed.

That defining moment is not what called me to find Islam for myself. Instead, it was an amalgamation of similar events from my teen years. I believe my relationship with my Rabb (Master; Lord) changed through dua (supplication). I listened to a podcast episode on how to make powerful dua in 2019. I followed its tips sparingly that year but started seriously making dua the following year, during COVID. The episode mentioned just sitting down and talking. We spend so much time doing everything in our lives, but how often do we spend even 30 minutes talking to our Creator? In every salah (prayer), we say, "You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help." But how often are we humbling ourselves, raising our hands to the heavens, and asking for that help? I was no longer a stranger to my Creator, which forever altered my approach towards ibadah (worship). Every act of worship was done with intent and khashya (reverence). Every single dua I made that year was answered, from the ones I thought truly impossible to the ones I seemingly forgot. I sit here humbly on my bed; the very place I made those duas to living and breathing those answered prayers. To give you perspective, from the seemingly small - I got my first job and and was able to to relive one of my favourite days - to the supposedly large - I received over 20,000 dollars in scholarships and awards and got to move out. The only way I can describe it is that you're being called to truth.

Regardless of being born Muslim, we all seem to find Islam for ourselves. Other Muslims thought the same. For some, it was as simple as pondering the Quran and doing tadabbur (contemplation). For others, it was as simple as asking meaningful questions and making sincere dua. A biomedical student from the University of Ottawa answered this question beautifully; "As a kid, you learn about things to a certain degree. Islam taught me the truth more than anything else, or more so than anywhere else." When asked about a moment that moved his soul, he mentioned, "When I was a kid, I was told you could make dua to Allah SWT and have whatever you wanted if you ask. Rushing to make sincere dua for a toy car, I remember my dua wasn't answered, but then I learned about the three ways Allah SWT can answer your dua: it's accepted, it's replaced with something better in the akhirah (afterlife) or Allah SWT will prevent an equal amount of evil from reaching it. It made me feel a lot better about my unanswered dua and made me appreciate how wonderful and merciful Allah Subhana wa ta'ala is."

In retrospect, I think all Muslims have come to the realization that Islam is the truth, whether that be over time or by making mistakes along the way. A third-year psychology student speaks about her experience of finding Islam in the hearts of others, "In high school and at the beginning of university, I was lost and didn't have a sense of style or purpose. Religion wasn't a big part of my life until a friend introduced me to a group of Muslim girls in a psych group chat. They added me to other group chats and prayed regularly, which made me feel ashamed for not praying. However, they never forced me, and through their actions and genuine character, I learned a lot about Islam. It helped me fill the emptiness I had been feeling." Understanding your deen (religion) is a vital component to making your way back to Allah SWT. Seeking clarifications around misconceptions, asking questions, or learning new information are all attempts people make to strengthen their relationship with their Rabb. Often, when non-Muslims ask about Islam, they receive answers about peace, which may not fully represent what Islam is. For example, one might say that Islam is a religion of peace or one with many rights, but these statements aren't entirely factual. Yes, all those things are correct, but in essence, linguistically and principally, Islam means submission to God, tawhid, the recognition of the oneness of Allah Azzawajal.

In turn, everything goes back to God. A third-year public policy student highlights this concept when answering a question about his relationship with the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition), "The whole concept of content comes from Allah SWT and you can't find that anywhere else. This idea that the hearts only find rest in the remembrance of Allah SWT and that this world is temporary." And when reflecting on defining moments where he realized Islam was the truth, he elaborates, "Again, I went to a funeral one time, and he was around my age, and Subhan'Allah, this happened multiple times…and you're looking at the guys who are still digging up the grave, and it's like a little eye-opening experience, and I heard a saying that the shawl they put on you when you die doesn't have pockets."

Ordinarily, there is no right time to return to your Rabb; there's only the present. I hope you gained a sense of community and learned that people turn back from multiple avenues. And there is no sequence of events that need to unfold in a particular manner before reconnecting with your Rabb. Be grateful for all the blessings and appreciate the small miracles. In the end, it’s just you, your deeds, and your Rabb, after all.

How to Counter the Winter Blues

How to Counter the Winter Blues
Author: Ams

Heartbreak Vol 1.

Heartbreak Vol. 1
Author: Ifrah Ismail

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

Written By: Ifrah Ismail

Archives

Categories

How to Counter the Winter Blues

How to Counter the Winter BluesAuthor: Ams

Heartbreak Vol 1.

Heartbreak Vol. 1Author: Ifrah Ismail

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

Returning to your Rabb Before you Return to your Rabb: Stories from the Youth of the Ummah

Written By: Ifrah Ismail

Archives

Categories

How to Counter the Winter Blues
Author: Ams

Heartbreak Vol. 1
Author: Ifrah Ismail