Resiliency Gained - A Guide to Stress Reduction

by Umm Amin


Bismillahi Arrahmani Irrahiim

SubhanAllah! Is the babying crying? Did you lose your job? Somebody is spreading rumors about you? People are talking about that hijab on your hair! Maybe you’ve got to get dinner on the table by 6 pm. Perhaps you are caring for a family member with a long term condition, like Alzheimer’s disease or Diabetes Mellitus. You might be noticing the lack of invitations to upcoming parties, or have it up to your neck with your three children that argue nonstop. You could be recovering from a loss or going through a divorce. Whatever individual test reaches you, chances are you can seriously benefit from stress reduction! Yes, you got it. Less stress: turn the intensity down and chill out! Alhamdulillah.

Stress is a biological response. Allah made us to respond this way. Whether it’s a cold ice cube in your hand, a startling noise, the smell of burning toast, a terrible sour milk taste, or seeing a vehicle approaching you head on; stress begins with intense and vivid stimuli that are sent to the brain. Your brain interprets the information it receives, and the threat is categorized into passing or an ongoing and real threat (Seaward, 2002). When your brain perceives a persistent threat, the nervous and endocrine systems pump up and prepare to respond. As a result, you may become jittery or on edge until the threat has passed and calmness ensues. Some of the physiological effects include a rapid heart rate, a pounding heart, increased blood pressure, rapid breathing, increased blood sugar, increased blood clotting, diarrhea, enhanced muscle strength, and increased sweating (Seaward, 2002). While these responses would normally be beneficial when you are trying to escape a frightening encounter, they can be irritating if you experience them for minor confrontations or your symptoms do not subside rapidly.

Most people experience a bit of stress now and then, but it’s usually experienced briefly. There are ill effects of ongoing or prolonged stress. Although the list of ailments is no comprehensive or all inclusive, stress can produce episodes of asthma, decreased immune response, tension headaches, fertility issues, heart failure, anxiety, depression, aging, muscular pain, gastrointestinal disease, ulcerative colitis, acne, diabetes, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, blood clots, canker sores, teeth grinding, gingivitis, and psoriasis exacerbations(Griffin, 2010; Heller, Lee, and Koo, 2011; Nazario, 2010; Seaward, 2002; Tofler, Silver, and Solomon, 2011). Unmanaged stress spirals out of control, other illnesses flare up, and it becomes difficult to do your daily activities like waking up for fajr on time or completing household chores.

Since stress is detrimental to our long term health, it interferes with our performance as wives mothers, sisters, and parents. Poor coping techniques make our loved ones frustrated with our stress responses. It is imperative to whittle stress down to manageable levels. Stress can be ameliorated with a variety of management methods including guided imagery, time management, organization, visualizations, aromatherapy, conscious relaxation, humor, breathing techniques, meditation, and exercise (Chang and Shen, 2011; Kornsweig, 2011; Seaward, 2002; Sibinga et al., 2011).

You may be thinking, that’s all good but how can I relate to stress personally? Think of where Allah says in the Qur’an, Surah Ibraheem, 32-34, “It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the fivers. And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day. And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor [i.e. blessings] of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.” By taking a few moments to focus on the simple parables that surround us, we have the opportunity to reflect upon the bounties we cherish every day. Enjoying a few moments basking in the sun, or contemplating the freshness of the drizzling rain that in turn brings forth fragrant and delicious fruits reduces stress and reminds us to set aside a few moments for relaxation and reflection. It also provides a few moments to thank Allah for the numerous simple treasures we cherish on a daily basis. 

That little voice keeps coming back to your head. In your mind you are saying, yea, but I need some real tips that I can put into my daily life. Finding a solution to your stress is an easy recipe. By starting a journal you can both jot down triggers to help you identify when stress is surmounting so you can take steps to intervene. You can also use reflective journaling as a means to positively cope and reframe your experiences to prevent your response to set backs or frustrations from being exaggerated.

There is an abundance of ways that you can fit stress reduction into your daily life. You can modify your lifestyle by adding in daily exercise, scheduling in naps or relaxations sessions, and limiting jitter inducing caffeine laden drinks such as cola, tea, coffee, and energy drinks. You can focus on having a positive outlook, and reframing problems to put them into perspective. You can ask for help, or exchange tips with other women while also enjoying the benefits of building loving friendship and engaging in camaraderie. You can learn relaxation techniques, like deep breathing, guided imagery, visualizations, acupressure points, or aromatherapy. Simply getting out into the outdoors relieves stress, increases your production of important neurotransmitters, enhances your mood, and affords you the opportunity to count the natural wonders and blessed beauties that surround you.

If you still lack beneficial strategies for reducing stress in your life, get out a pen and paper to start your personal stress buster list. Start out your list with some of the suggestions in the Ten Tension Reducers List, but add in additional ideas you dream up. Post the list in a place that will be easily accessible when you are feeling the constraints of stress. Make sure you pause and make a cognizant effort to select one of these liberating activities the next time you feel under duress.

Ten Tension Reducers

1. Spend 15-30 minutes reviewing surahs you have already memorized. You will find pleasure and comfort in reciting familiar words of the Qur’aan. Take a few minutes to reflect on the meaning of the ayat and apply them to your life.

2. Laugh. Tell a joke. Share a funny story with someone. Better yet, have a humor pal and send jokes to one another once a week. You’ll have something to anticipate in the mail!

3. Make a poem. Mount it on colorful construction paper. Decorate the edges with pretty ribbon. Gift it to a friend or loved one.

4. Take a walk in the park, or hike a nature trail. If you enjoy running, swimming, or biking, do it outside!

5. Plant a tree, a flower, or a small herb garden. Go back to enjoy it and rest by it from time to time.

6. Surround yourself with positive reinforcements and affirmations. Use quotes as well as bright, vivid images. Make a collage or paint a poster to hang up later. The picture you create will be both inspiring and invigorating later on.

7. Read a book to a child or elderly person. It will be a moment to relax and share together.

8. Practice deep breaths in which you draw air into your diaphragm and slowly let the air out. Mix it up by adding in a relaxing cup of mint or verbena tea.

9. Increase the colorful fruits and veggies in your diet! Get out to the local market to select fresh, beautiful natural food choices. Supplement that with a healthy dose of water each day.

10. Put a few drops of bergamot or eucalyptus oil into a warm bath. Top it off with some bubbles. It’s time for a good soak to relax your muscles and mind from head to toe.

References

Chang, K-M, and Shen, C-W. (2011). Aromatherapy benefits autonomic nervous system regulation for  elementary school faculty in taiwan. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Griffin, M. (2010). 10 health problems related to stress that you can fix. WebMD.  http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress management/features/10-fixable -stress-related-health-problems
Heller, M.M., Lee, E.S., Koo, J.Y. (2011). Stress as an influencing factor in psoriasis. Skin Therapy Lett,  16(5), 1-4.
Kornsweig, J. (2011). Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR): a monograph. Oriental Medicine, Spring, 19-33.
Nazario, B. (2010). How stress affects you oral health. WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-teeth-2/stress-teeth
Saheeh International. (1997). The Qur’aan: An authentic, accurate, and clear English translation. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Abulqasim Publishing House.
Seaward, B. L. (2002). Managing stress: principles and strategies for health and wellbeing. 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones an Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
Sibinga, E., Kerrigan, D., Steward, M., Johnson, K., Magyari, T., and Ellen, J. (2011). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for urban youth. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 17(3), 213-218.
Tofler, G.H., Silver, J.M., and Solomon, D. (2011). Psychosocial and other acute factors in acute myocardial infarction. UpToDate. http://www.uptodate.com

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Choosing Your Anger Destiny (SPANISH)

By Umm Amin
Translation by Holly Garza

SubHaana 'alaa! ¿Alguna vez has tenido un día largo de que haceres y lavando ropa, cocinando la cena y la comprobación de datos de sus hijos tareas cuando usted nota que alguien ha entrado en la casa? Imagínese si esa persona entra sin poner los zapatos en la puerta, dejando huellas de lodo por el suelo recién limpiado! Aaargh! ¿No te imaginas que puedes tirar las manos en el aire y gritar hasta que tu cara es color rojo? ¿O qué pasaría si te quedaras “callada” con mal humor seguida de comentarios negativos y quejas insinuando que estas enojada? Cualquiera de estas opciones permite que tus emociones se pongan a tu sangre a sentirse “a hervir”, y si no se controla estas podría afectar negativamente sus relaciones con sus seres queridos.

No nos queremos hacer daño con nuestra ira(coraje) o hacer daño con la ira a otros, ya que rompe la unión, paz y el tejido de familia y comunidad. En el libro mas noble de Díos leemos Sura Imran, 132 a 134, "¡Y obedeced a Alá y al Mensajero para alcanzar la misericordia. Y acelérense a suplicar el perdón de nuestro Señor y el jardín, es decir [ Paraíso] tan amplia como el cielo y la tierra, preparado para los justos y justas que se la pasan pasan [en la causa de Alá], durante la facilidad y las dificultades y que refrenar la ira y que el perdónan a la gente (a otros)-. Alá ama a quienes hacen el bien "

Está claro que el mensaje del Islam da mucha importancia y la recompensa a disipar la ira y perdonar a otros. Estos aleya nos muestran que abstenerse de la ira y perdonar a otros entre los que se gastan en el camino de Alá y son recompensados ​​con el paraíso!

Cuando nos encontramos con la ira (enjojados o llenos de coraje), nos debemos de tratar de dejar a nuestra esas emocíones, hacer dua, hacer el wudu, y perdonar a los demás. En Sahih Bujari bin Sulaiman Surd (que Allah esté complacido con él) narra: "Mientras yo estaba sentado en compañía del Profeta de Allah Salahu alaihi wa sallam, dos hombres se estaban maltratando uno al otro y la cara de uno de ellos se puso roja ye hinchado lleno de ira(coraje/enojo/rabia), y su vena yugular aumentó (es decir, se puso furioso). Y el Profeta, de Alá Salalaju alayhi wa sallam, dijo: "yo sé una palabra, el dicho de que hará que se relaje, si él hombre lo dice. Si él dice:. Me refugio con Allah de Satanás, entonces toda su ira(coraje/enojo/rabia) desaparecerá y relajara", Alguien le dijo a el. dijo el Profeta, Salalju alaihi wa sallam dijo '. Busque refugio en Allah de Satanás ", dijo el hombre enojado , "¿Estoy enojado?"

Estar enojado por un incidente puede ser beneficioso si toca a su energía para hacerse mas productiva, facilitar hacerte un cambio positivo, o si este enjo te hace abrir la comunicación de mensajes poderosos, o la identificación de un problema para que puedas comenzar a remediarlos. Sin embargo, la ira (coraje/enojo/rabia) desenfrenada arruina relaciones, ahoga la creación de soluciónes cooperativas, cierra diálogo, y domina la colaboración esencial de otro modo podría haber sido solicitado como las estrategias para alcanzar un objetivo común.

Esencialmente, la ira (coraje/enojo/rabia) es el resultado del fracaso de alcanzar una meta deseada (Bowness et al., 2008). Básicamente, se imagina llegar a su destino final - como un piso de cocina impecablemente limpia, pero un problema como pistas de lodo le impide llegar a su destino del piso limpio que usted imagina o desea al llegar. Cuando encuentre esas huellas manchando su piso, su furia lo impulsa a seguir adelante y superar el obstáculo. La ira puede ser negativa incorporar como rabietas, furioso, la ira activa, comportamiento impulsivo, percepciones distorsionadas y una serie de acciones que socavan la confianza y rompe relaciones (Geroloff, 2000). Del mismo modo que alguien que reprime la ira puede interpretar la ira como estar fuera de control, incompatible con el amor, mala educación, o contrario a la esencia del perdón (Gerloff, 2000). Como consecuencia de la represión ira, algunas personas se sienten victimizados, impotente, atrapados en una situación injusta, o hasta incluso se sienten en la depresión. Ellos no toman medidas para evitar la repetición de cortes de carretera (soluciones al problema) por completo caso omiso de su ira. Según un psicólogo Dr. Hoskins a fin de evitar lamenta y positivamente controlar la ira, una persona "se siente lleno de la ira, identifica el resultado deseado, y expresa sentimientos de una manera que preserva las relaciones (Gerloff, 2000)."

Cuando surge un tema caliente(algo que te hace sentir ira, coraje o no muy bonito y se genera una discusión, tome unos minutos para calamarte y pensarlo todo. Dua, la realización de la ablución, sentadote o acostandote son unas de las posibilidades para una escapadita en la que se puede reflejar. No perder de vista el panorama – o sea mantente en reflecion de tu meta y lo que quieres alcanzar -manteniendote en la vista de lo que quieres pone las cosas en perspectiva. Aquí es donde puedes ver que tan importante es esto y reflecionar sobre esto. Puede ser que tenga que considerar si sus expectativas son realistas o no razonables - puede un niño de dos años muy quieto durante dos horas mientras el té con los clientes? ¿Hay un momento más apropiado para discutir el tema? Piense si es posible que se sienta mejor después de una buena dosis de ejercicio - a veces un paseo o una caminadita en el aire fresco le permite reflexionar y te da espacio para pensar. Si estás atrasado (anochado) de sueño lleno de fatiga, a lo mejor con un bien descanso piensa mejor?

Cuando usted se siente los síntomas de la rabia - enrojecimiento de la cara, palpitaciones, aumento de la presión arterial - frío hacia abajo con una técnica de relajación. No importa que método o methodos usted usen, ya sean relajación incluyendo una pausa para contar hasta diez, una caminadita, haciendo wudu o dua -un refresco, o acostadandote para cerrar los ojos e imaginar las olas del mar se extiende hacia fuera para darle la bienvenida – usted se volverá renovado después de estas acíones. Una vez que tenga toda la compostura y la calma, piensa en el verdadero problema a la mano e intenta un enfoque a la identificación de posibles soluciones. Describa sus sentimientos con "yo" en lugar de culpar a alguien (personal de la Clínica Mayo, 2011). Por ejemplo, usted podría decir "yo estaba frustrado porque he hecho mucho trabajo para encontrar que el piso este lleno de lodo", en lugar de ", tenias que haber quitado tus zapatos!?!" Tenga en cuenta la situación desde otro ángulo, a veces incluso puede ser divertido y se puede usar el humor para aliviar la tensión.

Ultimadamenta, cuando te enojas puedes manejar tus emociones con una variedad de técnicas. Usted puede suprimirlo, expresarlo, o calmarlo ( a sus emociones) (Bowness et al., 2008). Básicamente, usted puede decidir cómo va a controlar su ira de manera positiva, de los cuales 1) quedanso callada y llena de ira, 2) Canalizar la ira en las actividades productivas y positivas, como el ejercicio, limpiando, nuevas metas o 3) Contener la ira mediante el uso de técnicas de relajación y reducción del estrés consciente. Además, puede reflexionar sobre los sentimientos que estás teniendo mietras en la rabia y analizar donde esta su prolema. Analizando sus pensamientos le permite identificar cuál es el problema con la que se enfrenta, y pensar en el resultado que desea. A continuación, puede considerar todas las posibles y acciones disponibles, y pensar en las consecuencias de ambas opciones positivas y negativas (Bowness, 2008).

Manejo de la ira con éxito(buenos resultados) significa tomar decisiones conscientes y positivamente sobre el reconocimiento de las emociones de ira y dar pasos hacia su meta deseada, sin crear daño a usted o a cualquier otra persona. Al analizar sus opciones, puede seleccionar la ruta que más positivamente logra llegar a su destino. La conclusión es que expresando tu enojo con habilidad y positivamente. La ira en sí misma no es perjudicial - puede ser una motivación para el cambio y la fuerza que te empuja una hacia el crecimiento y soluciones, siempre y cuando se experimenta y se expresa dentro de las fronteras y los límites apropiados.

Usted puede tener una causa legítima de la ira, pero el perdón provoca ayuda y apoyo en la prevención de un problema que se produzca de nuevo. Después de todo, aprendemos en Sahih Bukhari que Abu Huraira narró: que el Profeta de Alá sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, dijo: "Cuando Dios completó la creación, escribió en su libro, que esta con Él en Su Trono," Mi Misericordia Domina a mi ira. "Por otra parte, en el Sahih Bukhari, el Libro de la Fe, nos enteramos de que el Profeta Mohammad sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, dijo:" Ninguno de ustedes (realmente) tiene fe hasta que quiera para su hermano lo que quiere para sí mismo. "Parte de nuestro amor por los demás debe ser la capacidad de ponernos en sus zapatos, para considerar su punto de vista, y ofrecer el perdón y la misericordia cuando podríamos estar enojado. Y ningún ser humano es más misericordioso que Dios, ARRahman, y en el Día del Juicio todos vamos a buscar la misericordia de ArraHeem!

Referencias

Bujari. (2010). Sahih Bukhari. Obtenido de Internet desde: http://www.sahihalbukhari.com/sps/sbk/
Bowness et al. (2008). manejo de la ira creativa: una visión general. En salud mental por
Enfermería de Salud: Capacidades, Roles y Responsabilidades. Londres, Reino Unido: Libros Quay.
Gerloff, L. (2000). Manejo de la Ira. RN Mississippi, 62 (4).
Personal de la Clínica Mayo. (2009). Manejo de la Ira: Diez maneras de dominar su temperamento.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anger-management/MH00102
Sahih Internacional. (1997). El Corán: Una auténtica, precisa y clara Inglés
traducción. Ryadh, Arabia Saudita: Editorial Abulqasim.

Link For English Article - http://www.habibihalaqas.org/2011/04/choosing-your-anger-destiny.html

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Poem: I Miss You Mom

I Miss You Mom

by Suha Cassim

I should have spent the last 5 years

suing medi-calls

instead I dived

into the great barrier reef and

rode a cable car

over the mountain tops;

I locked my heart

and

shut my mind

and glided

thru

the ice bergs of Alaska..

took a chopper to the Glaciers

and my heart

froze in time...

I escaped

to Big Ben

to stare

into the laughing eyes

of beautiful

Salaam...

a crack appeared..

wide eyed

I ran

to the mine fields

called Guinea

when I heard

Him.

Gently inviting

me

to his House.

In wonder

I followed..

the Black Stone

blew the ice,

to smithereens,

the tears

at arafa

washed me

clean.

My head

on the white carpet -

I was healed..

and

I,

allowed myself

a little peek

through the veil

and saw a brand new world...

May Allah swt grant you Mummy, Jannthul Firdouse, Ameen

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Poem: One Word...Cancer

One Word
Amal Milaa Filza

For hours I was staring at my notebook.. Wanting to write
something however my fingers didn't move an inch.. I was searching for the right words, the perfect line but still my mind stayed blank. Every time I started to write something I would press the backspace button immediately. My inspiration was gone. One word however stayed on my mind 24/7. It came so unexpected.  I was unprepared for the lightning that struck our home. The news that spread like a gossip. I still remember my sister walking towards me with her eyes filled with tears. The words she said are frozen in my head. 'She has cancer' After that everything turned black.. It felt like my world was tumbling down.

Darkened day,
don’t know what to say

Fallen world
Buried in pain

Teary eyes
Restrained hurt

Floating thoughts
Endless rain.

My guardian angel
Can't stand to see her hurt

Day and night
Not an easy fight

Hold on to Hope
Khair Insha'Allah

Please make Dua
Give her strength

Trust remains
Allahu Akbar

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Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer
By Khadeejah Islam

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa baraka tuhu ladies!

This year, I have had the privilege of attending a seminar on the prevalence and prevention of cervical cancer. After the seminar, I was greatly enlightened about this topic. With this article, I wish to take you all to a virtual journey into the seminar insha’Allah. Since Islam is a way of life which enjoins us to take care of our health, I hope this will be beneficial for the readers, insha’Allah.

“Our Lord! Give unto us in the world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and guard us from the doom of Fire.” [1]

Cancer is the unusual growth of tissues. It can be detected in many areas, such as the ovary, breast, colon, rectum, lung, stomach and Fallopian tube. Cervical cancer is the malignant tumor of cervix located at the opening of the vagina. Every year, around 500,000 women are diagnosed with it and approximately 270,000 die. The data is insufficient as the urban population is surveyed only. However, this can be cured in 97% women if diagnosed in earlier stages, as with any other cancer or even disease. This is a sexually transmitted disease, that is, the virus passes through skin-to-skin genital contact. This is different from other sexually transmitted diseases, such as AIDS and gonorrhea because you cannot be protected fully via the condom as other genital areas will remain exposed. It is caused by an infectious virus named Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which comes from the man. However, not all types of HPV are cancerous. There are 13 types of cancerous HPV. HPV 16 and 18 are the main types of cancerous ones. Usually, it takes 2-20 years for the virus to develop into a cancer, after a persistent infection, that is, the virus being in the vagina for more than 2 years. Since HPV 16 and 18 are not mutative (they are not changing forms like HIV), they are easier to eradicate, Alhamdulillah.

The symptoms are as follows:

1. Post-menopausal bleeding

2. Abnormal bleeding (in menstruating woman), that is, bleeding continuously without any regular menstrual cycle

3. Post-coital bleeding

4. Unusual heavy and often foul-smelling discharge from the vagina

5. Pelvic pain

These symptoms may not necessarily mean that you have reasons to panic. However, if these symptoms are present, you should be visiting a doctor soon for a normal check-up.

This can be prevented in 2 ways:

1. Vaccine
2. Screening (Pap Smear)

Vaccine is the primary prevention through which the HPV can be eradicated. Harald zur Hausen got the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2008 for discovering this vaccine. Alhamdulillah, cervical cancer is the only cancer which has a primary preventive vaccine called the Cervarix. This is suitable for girls/women of above 10 years of age till she is 55 years old. There are 3 doses – second dose is 1 month after the first and the third dose is 6 months after the second. This is strictly not recommended for pregnant women. In general, the vaccine protects the woman for 5.5 years. However, the protection may extend till 8.5 years or even 20 years, which means that usually no frequent “booster” dose is required. After the vaccination, pain, swelling and redness may occur. Vaccine protects partially because there are other types of HPV (other than HPV 16 and 18) which can affect. Hence, screening should be done side-by-side.

Screening (Pap smear) is the secondary prevention. It is a test which can identify individuals who have the potential to develop cancer in the near future. This is suitable for women of 18-64 years. This needs to be done after every 3 years. This reduces the chance of developing an advanced stage of cancer by 93% since the woman is constantly monitored.

If the cancer is in an advanced stage when diagnosed, the treatment will include an exposure to 35 days of radiation, after which she will be safe insha’Allah for 10-12 years.

According to a premature, ongoing research, HPV may cause penile cancer in men. However, whether men should be vaccinated is still a debatable issue. Insha’Allah, in a year or so, the results of the research will be more dependable for commenting.

Since this is a sexually transmitted disease, the preventive measures (vaccine and screening) should be done before any sexual exposure of the woman, that is, before marriage. However, as mentioned above, these measures will continue even after marriage and if you did not know before marriage, there is nothing to panic insha’Allah. You can still consult a doctor, have yourself checked up and then adopt the appropriate preventive measure as recommended by your doctor.

Please share this article insha’Allah if you have found it beneficial. Please feel free to point out any mistakes or add in details since this article is based on a seminar and the doctors there could not discuss all the aspects of this topic. And of course, in any case, consult a gynecologist.

Footnotes:

[1] Qur’an 2:201

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