Stress management refers to the wide spectrum of techniques and psychotherapies aimed at controlling a person’s levels of stress, especially chronic stress, usually for the purpose of improving everyday functioning. It is also defined as a predetermined strategy for coping with psychological or emotional turmoil. As part of a health benefits package, a company may offer stress management therapy to improve job performance. Stress management comprises a wide range of approaches to help you better deal with stress and adversity. It might include problem solving, prioritisation and time management. Another approach includes enhancing skills to withstand adverse situations by improving emotional flexibility, finding greater meaning in life, increasing the sense of control and cultivating optimism.
In the fiercely competitive world we live in today, the most widely accepted truth is the growing stress and tension in our lives. People going through anxious moments are a common sight whether at home or in the street. The cause of worry could be anything from missed bus or broken down car on the road to a power cut at home. Workplace cannot be an exception to this phenomenon. Thus, in order to help people overcome stress many neo-spiritual movements have emerged.
Islam wants people to live a stress-free life. Thus, Islam gives a methodology to avoid or overcome stress. The following are some of the remedies to be adopted:
i. Seek Allah’s Help: Always seek Allah’s help for whatever you want. Asking Allah for something or seeking His help and protection in difficult situations will help reduce a person’s stress as he starts depending and relying on the supreme power with a hope that his needs will be fulfilled by Him. In actuality, supplication creates a platform for a person to share his needs, thoughts and desires with Allah, which in turn helps the person to reduce his psychological burden. The stronger the faith of the person in supplication, the lesser will be his level of stress. Allah also wants his slaves to supplicate; not doing so makes Him angry. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) once said, “Allah is angry with those who do not ask Him for anything.” (Tirmidhi)
ii. Do your part and leave the rest to Allah: One day Prophet Muhammad noticed a Bedouin leaving his camel without tying it. He asked the Bedouin, “Why don’t you tie down your camel?” The Bedouin answered, “I put my trust in Allah.” The Prophet then said, “Tie your camel first, then put your trust in Allah.” (Tirmidhi)
Whenever one does a task, he should do his best and then leave the result to Allah. Allah knows best, what is good and what is bad for us. When one starts feeling that he is responsible for the result, he goes on to take more stress and awaits a positive result and goes under depression when the outcome is not in his favour. But when the person leaves the result to Allah, he never takes any kind of stress, even if the result is not in his favour.
iii. Remember that human responsibility is limited: While we need to carry out our duty to the best of our abilities, always remember that you don’t control the outcome of events. Even the Prophets did not control the outcome of their efforts. Some were successful, others were not. You only have to do your duty and leave the results to Allah. Regardless of the results of your efforts, you will be rewarded for the part you have played. Thus strongly believing that it is Allah alone, who has the control over the outcome, will help the individual to reduce or overcome the stress.
iv. Leave the world behind: Use the five daily Salahs as a means to become more hereafter oriented and less attached to this temporary world. Start preparing yourself for Salah as soon as you hear the Adhan. When you stand ready to pray, mentally prepare yourself to leave this world and all of its worries and stresses behind you. Staying away from worldly desires will help the person overcome any level of stress which he might encounter when he incurs worldly loss.
v. Seek help through Patience and Salah: Allah has created human beings to test them. Thus in case of difficulty one must remember that the difficulty is from Allah to test the person. In such difficult situations one needs to seek Allah’s help with Patience and Salah as Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Seek help through Patience and Salah.” (Qur’ān 2:45) Having patience in any activity will reduce the stress of the individual, with a hope that the difficulty would move away sooner or later. Patience and Salah are two oft-neglected stress busters. Ultimately, patience helps to keep our mind and attitude in check in situations of stress.
Stress has become part of one’s life and it is very difficult to avoid it. Thus, Islam has provided us with so many methods and techniques which can be adopted by individuals to avoid and overcome their stress. Basically, certain beliefs and practices of Islam act as stress busters for people.
vi. Remember that this life is a Test: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” (Qur’ān 2:155) Whenever one encounters any problem, he should always remember that the problem is nothing but a test from Allah to see how we respond to it. Being mindful that it is only from Allah will help us avoid being stressed.
vii. Remembering that Allah has control over everything: It is important to remind ourselves that we don’t control all the variables in the world but Allah does, as He is the Wise, the All Knowing. Sometimes our limited human faculties are not able to comprehend His wisdom behind what happens to us and to others, but knowing that He is in control and that as human beings we submit to His Will, enriches our humanity and enhances our obedience towards Him. Remembering that Allah has control over everything helps a person to overcome his stress as he starts relying on someone else to help him overcome the problem.
viii. Remember that Allah is the provider: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose….” (Qur’ān 65:3) We should always remember that Allah is the Provider. It is Allah alone who feeds us all. Remembering that Allah is the provider will help us remember that getting a job or providing various provisions for our family is in Allah’s hand and not ours and will ultimately help us avoid stress.
ix. Remember that Allah controls Life and Death: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Wherever you may be, death will overtake you….” (Qur’ān 4:78) If you fear for your physical safety and security, remember that only Allah gives life and takes it back and, that He has appointed the time for it. No one can harm you except if Allah wills. Having this belief that Allah has complete control over one’s life and death; the individual will work and live freely without any kind of tension or fear, which in turn will help the individual to avoid or overcome any kind of stress.
x. Remember that Life is Short: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.” (Qur’ān 94:6) It’s easy to get caught up in stress. The belief that the life of this world is short will remind us that whatever difficulties, trials, anxieties, and grief we suffer in this world are something we will only experience for a short period of time. However, if we remember that our life is short and temporary, and that the everlasting life is in the Hereafter, this will help us put our worries and tension aside and ultimately live a stress-free life.
xi. Remember Allah: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah the hearts find rest.” (Qur’ān 13:28) One needs to remember Allah always in every aspect of his life. Remembering Allah gives the individual a spiritual support which will make him feel confident and strong, the clouds of worry and fear are driven away and the mountains that make up his problems are blown away. The degree in which we remember Allah, our heart will be calm and cheerful, as His remembrance will carry with it the meaning of total dependence upon Him, of turning to Him for aid, of having good thoughts about Him, and of waiting for victory from Him. When one’s heart feels heavy with stress or grief, one needs to remember Allah which will help him reduce his stress to the greatest extent.
xii. Relying on Allah for Everything: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “…And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah….” (Qur’ān 3:159) Once we have established a plan, we intend to implement it. One needs to put his full trust in Allah, which will make his will and determination much stronger to accomplish the task. Relying on Allah for everything will give you the feeling that Allah is with you all the time, which will in turn help us avoid any kind of stress which we are about to face or will help us to overcome the stress which an individual is undergoing.
xiii. Connect with other People: We must have relationships with other people. The five times Salah in congregation which we perform gives us a platform to mingle and interact with other fellow brothers and share our problems or grievances, which helps us reduce our stress and sometimes even find solutions to the problems.
xiv. Work for a Noble Cause: Involve yourself in enjoining good and forbidding evil as Allah says in the Qur’ān, “And let there be (arising) from you a nation inviting to (all that is) good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong….” (Qur’ān 3:104) Doing this work will not only keep a person busy but will also provide us with a platform to channel our energies on constructive activities rather than zeroing in on and consistently worrying about difficulties we are going through, thus this will ultimately help us avoid any kind of stress.
xv. Make the Qur’ān your partner: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts…” (Qur’ān 10:57). Build a strong relationship with the Qur’ān. Reading and listening to the Qur’ān will help refresh our hearts and minds. Connecting with the Qur’ān will help us connect with Allah. Having a strong relationship with the Qur’ān becomes a means to heal our hearts and avoid stress and worries.
xvi. Be Thankful to Allah: Allah says in the Qur’ān, “…If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]…” (Qur’ān 14:7). Allah has blessed us with countless bounties, but man fails to thank Him for the same. Continuously thanking Allah reminds us not only to be grateful for what we have but also that we are so much better off than millions of others, whether it is in terms of our health, family, financial situation or other aspects of our life. And being grateful for all we have helps us maintain a positive attitude in situations of worries and challenges which we encounter in our daily lives.
xvii. Having a check on one’s Soul: In order to avoid stress we need to have a constant check on our soul as well. As Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) once said, “Your most ardent enemy is your evil self which resides within your body; if this soul is not checked, it will lead to unusual stress.” (Bukhari) The Qur’ān also says, “He has succeeded who purifies it. And he has failed who instils it (with corruption).” (Qur’ān 91:9-10)
Today stress has become an inevitable part of one’s life. Following the teachings of the Qur’ān and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) will help us not only not only to overcome stress but also to avoid it. Allah Himself has sent tranquillity into our hearts so that we are not stressed. Allah says in the Qur’ān, “It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they would increase in faith along with their (present) faith.” (Qur’ān 48:4) Thus, tranquillity is a sign of strong faith while worries and stress a sign of weak faith.