Stress & Healing

Writing is healing for me. If my child wakes up at night and screams for one hour straight, one of my favorite ways to heal is through putting my thoughts and feelings into words. It’s also a way I turn to Allah when I have no words to directly address Him. A crying child is extremely stressful in and of itself, but when it’s coupled with conflicting advices or judgments, the discomfort just multiplies manifold. Some people suggest forcing positivity in one’s heart and mind in such situations without doing inner work. How is it possible to push away feelings of frustration, stress, anger, and anxiety, by not even accepting them first? Unfortunately, the most common way we are asked to address these feelings by many people, both laymen and learned, is to feel guilty for feeling them, and to force ourselves to avoid these feelings. This is spiritual bypassing, which is a big hindrance in both spiritual and emotional growth.