Connect
Building connections is vital for wellbeing. Building good relationships with friends, family and the wider community can make you feel happier and valued.
If you are a spiritual person with a belief in God then focusing on and developing your connection with God can also help your wellbeing and help you stay positive. Participating in communal religious practices, such as praying in congregation, or study circles may help you connect with others around you based on shared beliefs and interests. This could also help you find a place where you feel belonging and acceptance which can increase wellbeing
Keep Learning
Increasing your knowledge and learning new skills can give you a sense of achievement in life which increases wellbeing. Encountering and successfully engaging with the challenges that learning new skills brings can increase your confidence.
As you continue learning this can help you realise that your life is purposeful and moving forward in a positive direction. Learning can mean anything from learning to cook new dishes or learning to ride a bike to more formal study and courses.
You might want to memorise surah (chapters from the Quran), learn their translation, learn new supplications (duas), attend study circles (Halaqah) or engage in individual research and reading.
Once you’ve learnt a something new, sharing it with your family and friends will strengthen what you’ve learnt as well as give you a sense of pride in your achievements. This could be cooking a dish for you family or teaching the surah you’ve learnt to your children!
Give
Helping others can help you reduce stress, improve your mood, and recognise the value your life has. Knowing your actions can make a difference can help with positive self image.
There are many ways to give. Giving your time, effort and skills are just as important as financial donations. You could volunteer for a charity, give food to your neighbours or organise a collection for a food bank.
Take a way to notice the ways you already give to others, that may be helping an elderly relative, looking after members of your household, or giving emotional support to friends. These are all important ways of giving.
Islam recognises many things that are considered sadaqah (voluntary charity), including planting fruit trees, giving someone directions and picking up rubbish from the streets.
