Emotions are signals from inside us — feelings like joy, worry, gratitude or anger that tell us something about our situation. Looking after our mind is just as important as looking after our body.
What are emotions?
An emotion has three parts: how your body feels (a racing heart), what you think, and what you feel like doing. Emotions are normal and useful — fear can keep us safe, and gratitude helps us appreciate blessings. There are no 'bad' emotions; even sadness and anger carry a message, and the skill is learning to notice them and respond wisely rather than being swept along.
Stress and anxiety
Stress is the body's response to a challenge, like an exam. A little stress can help us focus. Anxiety is worry about what might happen. Both are normal, but too much can feel heavy.
- Notice the feeling and name it.
- Slow, deep breathing helps the body calm down.
- Talking to a trusted adult always helps.
Healthy ways to look after your mind
Good sleep, exercise, time outdoors, helping others, and talking about feelings all support a healthy mind. Small daily routines matter more than one big effort. In Islam, wellbeing is also nurtured through patience (ṣabr), gratitude, remembrance (dhikr), and leaning on family and community when times are hard. Remember that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
🕌 The Muslim pioneers
Abū Zayd al-Balkhī (850–934), in his book Maṣāliḥ al-Abdān wa al-Anfus ("Sustenance of Body and Soul"), separated illnesses of the body from illnesses of the soul, or mind. He described anxiety, anger, sadness and obsessive thoughts, and recommended talking-and-reasoning methods — replacing negative thoughts with balanced ones and using calming self-talk. He did this around 1,000 years before modern Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which uses very similar ideas today.
An emotion has three parts
Naming all three is what lets you notice an emotion instead of simply being swept along by it.
| Part | Example, when you feel nervous |
|---|---|
| How your body feels | A racing heart, tight stomach |
| What you think | “Something is going to go wrong” |
| What you feel like doing | Avoiding it, or leaving the room |
Every emotion carries a message
There are no 'bad' emotions. Even the uncomfortable ones are telling you something.
| Emotion | The message it may carry |
|---|---|
| Fear | Something here needs care — it can keep you safe |
| Gratitude | Something good is present; notice and appreciate it |
| Sadness | Something mattered to you and has been lost or missed |
| Anger | Something feels unfair, to you or to someone else |
The skill is not to stop feeling these things. It is to notice them, and then choose your response wisely.