“Good morning, Eeyore,” said Pooh.
“Good morning, Pooh Bear,” said Eeyore gloomily. “If it is a good morning, which I doubt,” said he.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”
“Can’t all what?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.”
Excerpt from Winne the Pooh, by A. A. Milne
Eeyore is a gloomy, depressed and pessimistic old stuffed donkey from the famous Winne the Pooh stories by A. A. Milne. He lives in the southeast side of the Hundred Acre Woods in an area called “‘Eeyore’s Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad.” Despite his depressive state, I think Eeyore is exceptionally intriguing because he accepts the reality of his raw emotions, no matter how sunless they are. His challenge is half complete as he admits he is sad. All he needs to do now is to apply the Top 7 Ways You Can Master Depression. Thank God he’s one of the few characters who can read in the story.
Some people, unlike Eeyore, deny the sadness, grief and depression that plagues them for hours, days or even months. They try to keep “it” together during bleak days, exam madness and relationship uproars as they slip further and further into Eeyore‘s “Rather Boggy and Sad” land. Unarmed, they fight silent enemies in the murky woods of depression.
I can understand their frustration as I rejected my Bipolar diagnosis for quite a while. I kept racing from it instead of embracing Bipolar and its treasured lessons until I reached the threshold of pain. At that point, I had no choice but to accept the mental illness. So if you’re faced with a trusted, accurate diagnosis of clinical Depression or you feel extremely sad, you can welcome it voluntarily, with pleasure and benefit from it’s amazing lessons. Or you can deny it until you are pushed and shoved and the depression diagnosis comes barging into your life. Will you be motivated by the pleasure of accepting depression and basking in the sweet breeze of recovery? Or will you allow the pain of denying depression limit you and control you and it takes over your life?
Once you answer that question for yourself, and only you can do that, not your doctor, mother or best friend, you can begin to apply the Top 7 Ways to Master You Can Depression. Keep in mind that these top 7 ways don’t come from some health care professional or some expensive textbook. These are simple and effective techniques for Muslims that I believe truly work. I know they work because I used and succeeded with each and every one of them many, many times. When you find another technique that works for you, share it with us because we can always teach and inspire one another 
Top 5 Ways to Master You Can Depression
1. Put Allah in the center, not Depression – Many of us who battle depression often have lives centered around the illness and emotion. Hence, the first step is to put Allah in the center and not depression. Lets be motivated by what Allah wants from us. Then happiness will be be ours, and depression will not limit and shackle our sparkling souls, in sha Allah. Allah is already the center of the entire universe and it is up to us to make him the center of our lives. The two most effective ways to make Allah our focus is to
- repeat the shahada often, Lā ilaha illa al-Lāh (There is no god except Allah)
- turn to Allah five times a day as you offer Salah with maximum khushu and attention.
2. Workout at least 3 times a week – Physical exercise not only gives us freedom from excess weight. It also boosts our mood. Why? because when we swim or run on the treadmill, our brains produce endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that reduce pain and negative emotions. How fabulous is that! We’re blessed with a natural remedy for Depression!
3. Take your meds diligently – Having clinical Depression or Bipolar requires we eat the right cocktail of medication. Mood disorders are caused by a chemical imbalance in our brain and we need to take the necessary measures to restore the balance. Clinical Depression and Bipolar cannot be treated by simply “snapping out it”. Thus, medication is key. If you forget to take your pills, ask supportive family members or roommates to give you friendly reminders. If you live alone, ask a trusted friend to give you a “pill call”
4. Wear fresh undergarments – Yes, I know it might sound funny and maybe a little odd. It’s also happens to be super effective. Wearing warm undergarments, fresh out of the dryer uplifts your soul. It makes you feel cleansed, and soothes your mood. I learned this spectacular technique from a the Five Alive coaching charted call at DiscoverULife.
5. Visit a sick friend or neighbor – This is a classic depression buster and has a special zeal. Sit with an ill friend and enjoy a wholesome conversation as you read together, make colorful key chains and savor hot biscuits dipped in chai. I cannot use words to describe how visiting the sick uplifts your mood because it is an engaging experience that you need to live for yourself. I can say that when we visit a sick person in the morning, 70 000 angels pray for us till the evening. And if us visit the sick in the evening, 70 000 angels pray for us till the morning (Sahih Bukhari). 70000!
What are some top ways you can master depression?
