Q+A: Emotional Strength

Written by: Chereen

Q: Salam. I hope Allah -swt- blesses you with the best for helping us, strangers. My question is, how do I make myself emotionally stronger?

A: Wsalam. Thank you so much for the kind duaa, may it be doubled for you.

Becoming emotionally stronger is a process, and I think people misunderstand what it means to be emotional strong. It doesn’t mean to hold back tears or not feel everything so deeply. It means that you are aware of where your emotions come from and you are in control of them.

So, I guess for you to be emotionally strong, you can’t give your emotions to others. You can’t give them the power to rule over your happiness or sadness, because then you become weak. You want to be emotionally independent, and that comes from respecting yourself enough to only let good people occupy spaces in your heart.

Communication is important, but the best type of communication is with yourself. Talk to yourself often. If you’re upset, think about what caused you to feel this way. Work your way through your feelings. Don’t ignore them. Strength comes from being able to tolerate pain and sadness, rather than hiding it and walking away.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to understand where and why you feel a certain way, accept that you’re not always going to be happy, and work through your emotions at your own pace. Embrace what you feel and don’t walk away from yourself.

The strongest people have scars, and those who are weak are too scared to get hurt.

Having the ability to feel is a blessing.