1) Master Your Menstrual Cycle
There are a few days/weeks in the month where you’re prone to feeling agitated, sensitive and a little off. Girl you know exactly what I’m talking about 😉 It’s entirely different for each woman. You might feel super stressed, riddled with anxiety before your menstruation. Perhaps it’s a few days in and you begin to feel awful, wanting to hide away from the world. What is it for you? Make a quick note in a monthly calendar and soon you’ll be able to recognise patterns and prepare ahead for those days. For myself, I take it easy on those days. I’m usually a little bit more bloated and sometimes a little too emotional (queue the tears, mugs of green tea and endless self-talk on showing compassion to myself).
As I’m aware of those days, I can gently hold the space for myself with compassion and love to allow the emotions to pass. For example, if I’m feeling sensitive and reactive to other people’s behaviour, instead of blasting myself for being too sensitive, I gently let the emotions pass. I understand that in these 3 days or so, I’m naturally going to feel much more sensitive and that’s okay.
2) Make Your Salah A Priority
Your salah is the bloodline of your imaan. The way you show up in Salah can also be a huge indicator to the way you show up in other areas of your life. Until you connect with Allah, you’ll be looking in all the wrong places to fill that void. Trust me all the yoga, meditation, self-development reading etc. comes nowhere near to the peace and inner satisfaction from lowering to the ground and bowing your head to Allah. It’s as though all of life’s worries washes away and you can finally surrender. It’s you + Allah versus the challenges in life. Your salah is the daily pit stop where you drop your struggles, 5 times a day and surrender to something greater than you. What could make you more happier than speaking to Allah?
3) Live Your Passion Everyday
Passion is the crux to living a happy, fulfilling life. Your passion isn’t this one magnificent, giant calling that requires you to drop your kids and sacrifice your marriage. Your passions can be anything from organising your home, cooking delicious yet nutritious meals all the way to sponsoring orphans, writing a book and sharing your message to the world. How can you embrace your passions daily? When you make the effort to do the things that light you up from within, you show up as a happier, radiant woman in this world.
4) Enjoy Your Own Company
This. Is. So. Important. Can you enjoy time alone without fretting over your kids (hello Mama guilt!) or fanaticising a romantic getaway to the Maldives? Of all the women that I admire (mentors + coaches), every single one of them are genuinely fulfilled and happy within themselves. Marriage, family life and friends are all wonderful additions to your happiness but they can never be the sole and only reason for your joy.
5) Feel Your Emotions
Did you feel a sharp tinge of jealousy scrolling down on Instagram, noticing the mother with glossy hair, supermodel thighs and obliques that’d put a fitness freak to shame? FEEL it.
Did it frustrate you that a family member made the same unwarranted remark about you, yet again? FEEL it.
Does it hurt you that you’re never acknowledged or appreciated for all that you do? FEEL it.
Feeling your emotions fully is the quickest way to heal it. Feel every inch of that jealousy/ hurt/ disgust/ disappointment/ rejection/ loneliness and only then will it pass. When you give yourself permission to feel your emotions without guilt or fear, you open your heart to healing. Too many women bury and suppress their feelings because they believe they ‘shouldn’t’ feel that way. That’s when your inner mean girl blasts you with thoughts like ‘all men are like that, you’re looking too much into it’ or ‘get over it, you’re being too sensitive’ or ‘you’ll never be like her, forget it!’.
Here’s the biggest kicker… until you heal that wound, it will always show up… again and again. (Oh I’ve been there!) Avoiding the pain, confrontation and discomfort, never makes it go away. Temporarily it might band aid your feelings but eventually the same wound will reappear. The solution? Feel it fully. Feel the full extent and intensity of your emotions, let it wash over you and gently let it go.
You need to feel to heal it 🙂
Every day I’m learning to make happiness my choice – I’m learning that nobody else in this world owes me an ounce of happiness… no matter who they are to me. In that comes the freedom and surrender that no matter what happens in your life, you’ll be just fine. When happiness comes from within, nobody can take it from you. The more you cultivate your inner happiness, the world will only mirror that right back to you. No coincidence, that the days I focused on making myself happy, my life reflected that back to me. And the days that I searched for it within people or materialistic things, I was never satisfied.
P.s.If you’d like to dig deeper, work with me 1-1 on strengthening your happy muscle and create a foundation for happiness that lasts – beyond the size of your bank account, beyond your relationship status or your waist to hip ratio, book in a free 20 minute life coaching session here – I can’t wait to meet you 🙂
45 Responses
Super… MashaAllah… Please put more blogs…
Will do, keep an eye on the blog page ? Jazakillah Khair xx
Love this post, it is great! Secret number 5 really got me, honestly, I do it too many times “suppress their feelings because they believe they ‘shouldn’t’ feel that way”. Instead of dealing with the problem and healing, I try to control it which is not always a good thing, because like you said it is important to “feel it” BUT heal as well.
Thank you for such a lovely post
xoxo
http://www.twentyfivestar.com
Thank you sweetie ? it’s so true, we’ve been brought up to suppress our emotions and almost fear them getting out of control. Ironically it’s when we fear it so much, that we end up losing control hehe x
A great morning read indeed! The monthly cycle is not what something I look forward to because of the pain it brings along. Hatee it!
Thank you for reading Fatima ? I think all women have at some point really disliked looking forward to that time of the month… I’ve found that looking at my food and lifestyle a really helps. Especially the weeks leading up to it – tons of green tea, nourishing meals and epsom salt baths do wonders for pain. Hope that helps x
Being aware of the cycle helps a lot. I have learnt it now. Also Salaah. How true.
Loved this post.
It definitely takes practise to get used to the rhythm of it,
Thank you for reading and stopping by x
I love all of these! They definitely help me feel happier and more content with life 🙂
So wonderful to hear ????
Good to read your article..Sometimes these little thing become a big deal if do not take care of our emotions …No doubt we can get inner satisfaction during prayers.
Yes definitely…. little things build up over time x
Wow! This was just an amazing read. You are so right about everything. Lol I make it my goal to relax during that time of the month. I’m always a little more on edge so keeping things relaxed around me is what I try to aim for.
Awwww heheh you’re too kind ? thank you for your kind words… I equally LOVE your blog (from the day I saw it, fell it love with it heheh).
I think for us women relaxation and self care is everything x
Blessed Salaams, really enjoyed reading this Allah bless you for sharing.
I would love a one to one session! ?
Wasalam Sophia, I’m so happy you enjoyed this article ? You can find more information on booking a session here: http://inspiredandfabulous.org/life-coaching/
Hope to speak to you soon!
This is why I keep a planner! I even track my daily prayers , it helps to motivate me to pray more often to avoid those lazy days! But finding me time is always a struggle being a mum
Yessss! Planning evening the daily, consistent tasks is so worthwhile for your mind, focus and productivity. And finding time for yourself can be as simple as a few deep breaths on your way to dropping your kids off at school or taking in the scenery. Hope this helps x
Absolutely loved this, mashaAllah. I certainly needed someone to tell me to FEEL IT today. Suppressing way too much! JazakAllah for another awesome post!
Khadijah
X-<3-X
BarakAllah fee…. I’m so happy this was helpful ???
Have a wonderful day Khadija x
Thank you Ummi Hafsa for the beautiful words. May Allah bless you always. ❤️
Ameen, thank you my love x
“When happiness comes from within, nobody can take it from you.” — I also try to live by this rule. Really good article, I love 2, 3 & 4 a lot!
Thnak you for your kind words Farah! Much love x
manage shark week LOL i agree fully ! a little bit of self care goes a long way especially like understanding ones own emotions. <3
hehehehheh that’s exactly what it feels like sometimes! Thank you for stopping by x
Short yet meaningful list! Jazakillah for sharing =)
BarakAllah fee for reading ?
‘Enjoy your passion everyday’. This is wht I struggle with the most.
Awww I hope this post helped inshaAllah ? It’s really about the little things that might you up and then committing to doing as often possible x
I simply loved it! It’s beautiful
Thank you sweeite x
Ma sha Allah, I love your articles sister. Can’t believe you’re from London yet we likely haven’t met! I hope one day we bump into each other as I’d love to meet you 🙂
Keep up with these amazing articles! May Allah bless you
I’d love to meet you too (inshaAllah one day!). Jazakillah for you support, your too kind ???
Beautiful just want I needed! Love your emails!They speak volumes!!! Looking forward to the next one!
Thank you for your kind words Zainab! I’m so excited to send the next ones too x
MashAllah, yet again another uplifting, comforting, inspiring, fresh, and beautiful article! I always look forward to your writings. JazakAllah Khair, dear sister.
MashAllah, yet again another wonderful, uplifting, fresh, comforting, and inspiring article! I always look forward to your writings. JazakAllah Khair, dear sister.
BarakAllah fee sweetie ? thank you soo much for your kind and supportive words x
Like your article..where u r from
Thank you 🙂 From London x
This is so important & a great mood booster. I love your articles. Barakallahu Feeki.
Awww Jazakillah khair for your support ???