Things to Do When Feeling Blue

When the days feel blue, what are you gonna do? Indeed, its a fair thing for us to have disappointing moments. Being sad is one thing, but being hopeless and giving up is another topic.

There are many suggestions about what to do when we are lowest low. But here are the five things that works for me.

1) Interacting with Qur'an 

Opening qur'an and read them with most of my heart. I am not a very religious person, but I could testify how many times Qur'an comforts me.

So, this is what I do: reading quran, or tilawah and then following up by reading the translation. Eventually, I will find some verses that resonate to my heart. 

If you are someone who finds it hard to tell your sad thoughts to other people, voicing your heart by reading qur'an will help so much. Inshaallah. 

In fact, sounding our heart through rhymic tone helps to ease our heart. That's why we are suggested to sing or dance to throw the worry away. 

2) Qur'an Journaling

After reading the quran, usually I end up with doing Quran Journaling. I learn to untie the tangled emotions in me into writing. 

It is so simple: I just write a verse that speaks to me on my journal, then write my heart out in the next lines. 

Eventually, what I write is not merely sadness. The negative emotions change into positive ones like a reflective memo or hopeful narrative. 

I love doing Qur'an Journaling. It is like a photo album where I keep my memorable interaction with qur'an, only in words. 

3) Reciting Dua for Sadness

Do you know that there is a dua for sadness that really help you to feel ease? If you don't, now you now. Here it is 

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِيْ بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِيْ كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِيْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيْعَ قَلْبِيْ، وَنُوْرَ صَدْرِيْ، وَجَلاَءَ حُزْنِيْ، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّيْ.

“Ya Allah! Sesungguhnya aku adalah hamba-Mu, anak dari hamba-Mu laki-laki (bapakku) dan anak hamba perempuan-Mu (ibuku). Ubun-ubunku di tangan-Mu, keputusan-Mu berlaku padaku, ketetapan-Mu kepadaku adalah adil. Aku mohon kepada-Mu dengan setiap nama-Mu, nama yang telah Engkau tetapkan untuk diri-Mu, atau nama yang Engkau sebutkan dalam kitab-Mu, atau nama yang Engkau ajarkan kepada seseorang diantara makhluk-Mu, atau nama yang Engkau simpan dalam ilmu ghaib di sisi-Mu (hanya Allah yang tahu), agar Engkau jadikan Al-Qur’an sebagai penenteram hatiku, cahaya di dadaku, pelenyap duka dan kesedihanku.”

I recite the dua when I feel too much hopeless. Like, I know I should not be this blue but I am feeling it tho? What to do?! 

That dua is recited after doing ibadah. And after that, miraculously I feel at ease. My problem still exists, but my heart gets better. 

4) Catching the Sun

Yup. Catch some of the suns with barefooting! Do you know that depression come along with the vitamin D3 deficiency? 

When I feel sad, I will run for a morning walk while the sun is still warm. Getting a sunbath and enjoying morning view boosts my mood so much. 

Turns out, what I do is not a placebo. There is also a backed-up scientific evidence for that. 

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Feeling negative, like sadness is a normal thing. But let's not familiarize sadness with being hopeless. In fact, doing all those four acts help me to make my sadness standing with being hopeful. 

What about you, what dya do?

Whatever it is, just ensure not to let the gloomy days stay too long, ok? Life is so much more fun than being sad :)