Stress Management

Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of rising to a challenge and preparing to meet a tough situation with focus, strength, stamina, and heightened alertness.

It is also the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Common stress reactions include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat.

It's almost impossible to live without some stress. And most of us wouldn't want to, because it gives life some spice and excitement. But if stress gets out of control, it may harm your health, your relationships, and your enjoyment of life.

The definition of stress was taken from HERE and HERE.


Let's not talk about stress to not increase that feeling disorder again, but let's see the way to reduce or decrease the stress. I'm sure that each person has their own style to deal with stress as long as we try our best to remove it away.

I gather some important ways that can be used to reduce stress from my reading and I share some my own ways for personal preference.

1. Pray & Meditate.
Allah is the best place to show our feeling. HE is a very good listener. Ask His help. Pray a lots and meditate (Muhasabah) for a while why we got stress of our study, work and environment. InsyaAllah, HE will show the way and right path to all of us.

2. Go for a walk.
Leave everything for a while. Take a walk in the morning or evening and see people surrounding us. See the beautiful creatures that Allah created in this world. Walk alone so that you have time to relax yourself and don't get into any conversation. Isn't clouds in the morning and stars at night are too beautiful? :)

3. Spending time in your favorite place.
Go to a place that you like the most. If you think that Mosque is the best place, go and relax there. Bookstore is also a heaven to me. I can forget everything if I just stare at so many books, browsing and spending hours there. Or you can easily go back to your own Home because it is the comfortable place to all of us.

4. Light reading.
I love books, but not all books can reduce our stress. So, please don't choose heavy contents of the book, but get a light reading that can make us laugh and smile.

5. Ice-Cream & Chocolate.
This is the favorite choice during stress. Ice-cream will cool your mood and Chocolate will add its sweetness and creamy to yourself. But, don't take it too much because it is not really good for our health.

6. Watch movies.
It can help to reduce stress too because you just forget everything and focus what shown in the TV, laptop or cinema. Cinema is not my choice because it might add my stress when see bad things happen inside it, so, I just lock my doors and spend hours to see any movies or dramas. Don't watch serious movie because it will lead you to think so much,so, get a humor and comedy movie to enjoy yourself.

7. Open back your old diaries.
Due to my busyness, it was rarely to write diary again. But I love to refresh back old memories by open back old diaries. Then, for sure I will smile all the days.. :) Pictures always speak more than words.

8. Make yourself special.
We sometimes forget to treat ourselves in a special way. You can treat yourself with a delicious food, beautiful dress, expensive book or gadgets, and many more. Just give yourself any present and say Thank You to yourself in appreciating a hard work done by yourself. Then, it might reduce any burden on your shoulder.

9. Call a loved one.
Although I'm not prefer to do this, but it is good for you. You can share your joy and sorrow with them; family and friends. Don’t underestimate the power of human contact and friendship which can help to reduce all the tension. Be good to others, then they will do same to you.

10. Be Positive & Be yourself
This is the most important one. Try to think positive in every matter happens to you, even though it is hard and difficult for you, but still there is a Hikmah behind all of that. Be optimistic and be yourself. As these are my own ways to reduce my stress, you might have your own ways. Some people are not suitable to practice these ways because we are different and I'll appreciate our differences.

Choose your own ways. No stress, No tension. Be Positive.

Because Allah always there for us...

Saadah Khair
2.10PM, 26 November 2010
Writing in the bus in a way from KL to JB.

*Home & Family is another way to reduce stress.. ^__^

'Eid Adha 1431H

Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Wa Lillahilhamd..

Praise be to Allah, 'Eid Adha comes again this year. This is the first time that I celebrate 'Eid without family, but I'm sure that there is Hikmah (wisdom) behind all of this. Due to short of vacation, I have to stay at KL and I'm willingly chose to celebrate 'Eid at Aborigine Village. Alhamdulillah I'm happy because I achieved one of my dream to celebrate one of the 'Eids with needy and poor people to purify my heart and show all the gratitude to Allah.

This 'Eid, there are two important message; the importance of Sacrifice & the value of Pilgrimage (Hajj) in Islam. I'm sure all of us were reminded about these messages every time when the month of Dzulhijjah comes every year. So, I don't want to repeat the same thing over again and again.

Just to make this entry simple, I share some interesting pictures here.. ^_^

Surau Kampung Jedip

Solat 'Eidul Adha

With Children of Orang Asli

Ibadah Qurban (6 cows) on 17 Nov 2010/10th DzulHijjah 1431H

"Gotong Royong" in slaughtering, skinning and distributing meats
to all Orang Asli around more than 10 villages there

Last Memory before depart back to KL with Chef Liza

**Miss my HOME but begin to love my new HOME a.k.a 'Rumah Awangan'

Books Sharing

Aquilla Asia

This is not a book, but an international magazine published in Singapore. It is a 4th Issue for Sept-Oct 2010. Just a sharing that my short story of Eid Memory around the world was published there, as my story of Ramadan was published in the previous issue. Although it was just ordinary memory and writing, it was a great happiness of mine.

Siddhartha
by Herman Hesse

I read it two months ago, not in English version, but Malay version which I got it as a free copy while attending seminar at ITNM. This book was written by German author and was translated to 57 languages of the world.

This book is a story of a son of Brahman, Siddhartha. He was on a quest to find the meaning of life. Through this book, the reader can enjoy his struggle to find his own journey in many different life experiences. He tried to find out for himself who he really is. Along the way, he meets rich people, poor people, holy people, and becomes part of their world for a short time. This book is relevant to everyone, because experience is the best lesson to all of us. We will not get happiness unless we face the difficulties and hardship.

Najib's Answer:
Solving Yesterday's Problem, Today's Conflicts and Tomorrow's Challenges.

This is the latest book that I bought for my personal collection, especially it will help me in my thesis writing. I finished reading it for two days because it only contains 99 pages. Even though it is a small book, but its content is not a small issue. Original copy was written in Malay, and translated as well to English, Chinese and Tamil (as shown in the picture above) in order to serve the diversity of Malaysian Society.

It consists of questions and answers which was taken from Prime Minister's selected speeches and not directly from an interview but was supervised by himself. The questions relate to the government, developed nation, public sector transformation, integrity of civil servants, economic stability, independence and national integration, 1Malaysia Concept, the relationship between Malaysia and Asian, Malaysia and international issue, and the effect of internet technology. The answer given also not too long and perhaps accurate and easy to understand.

However, I wanna give my humble suggestion to PM if he wanna make a second edition of this book. He should give the opportunity to Malaysian in writing additional questions which is not included in this book, and the questions might be taken from different generations; students, adults, and old age people, of course from different races as well. So, it will be just and fair rather than created the questions which sometimes not be thought by themselves. And the answer must come from himself directly, not selected from any of his speeches to be clearly appreciated and aware of his leadership and responsibility to serve the citizen.

Islam Awakening: Between Rejection and Extremism
by Yusuf al-Qaradawi

I bought this book last month at Kinokuniya with different front cover page. It is a very interesting, thoughtful and important book which should be read not only by Muslims but non-Muslim as well. In this book, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi cited several major issues in our Muslim world; the accusation and the truth, the causes of extremism, the remedy of extremism and the advice from him to our Muslim youth. I did not finish reading it yet, but I can tell the important message of this book is all about moderation (Wasatiyyah) and how to be moderate not extremist.

This book can be read online HERE

The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger

I knew about this book long time ago, but just bought it last month at Bookexcess with a very cheap price compare to another Book Store. I'm still reading this book, it's all about a love story between Henry and Claire. In the beginning of reading, it is complicated to understand the real situation of time and their ages because the main message is time travel, so it is very important to understand every scene is carried on different times. Some readers criticized this book and still there are some of them adore it. Its' okay, I just wanna read and finish it. As a sharing from other readers, she said: The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.


**Chapter 4 and 5 is moving together. Read, think, write, and act~!

Puitis Puisi

Perkongsian Malam Puisi Riong, 12 November 2010, anjuran Berita Harian dan Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia. Laporan Berita Harian di SINI.

Ini pertama kali saya hadiri Majlis Puisi di mana pelbagai tokoh hadir untuk mendeklamasikan puisi karya masing-masing. Tema kali ini adalah ilmu dan kreativiti. Ada dua tokoh yang saya nantikan persembahannya iaitu Ustaz Zawawi (Pensyarah saya ketika di Pusat Matrikulasi UIA) dan juga Encik Khair Ngadiron (Bekas dean UIA dan kini CEO ITNM), tak lupa juga persembahan Ana Rafali dengan gitarnya. Oh ya, saya juga terpegun dengan pengacaraan indah Fedtri Yahya.

Ustaz Zawawi Jusoh

Anna Rafali

Kenapa saya hadir? Bukan kerana hiburan tapi kesenian dalam menghayati bait-bait puisi sastera Melayu. Mungkin ramai yang mengatakan sesiapa sahaja boleh menulis puisi, tapi tak semua puisi boleh meninggalkan kesan di dalam hati. Hanya penggunaan kata-kata indah yang mendalam maksudnya sahaja boleh menusuk hingga ke kalbu.

Puisi memang selalu dikaitkan dengan cinta, tapi secara tidak langsungnya boleh menjadi medan dakwah dan perkongsian sejarah. Penyebaran ilmu secara langsungnya diambil kira kerana puisi berkualiti memerlukan kritis dan kreativiti.

Sempat juga saya mencoretkan sebuah puisi di malam tersebut, sekadar coretan kerdil..

Tatkala gelita bersuara
bintang mengiringi cahaya,
Tatkala rimbunan menutupi
akar menjadi paksi,
Tatkala akal terumbang-ambing
hati bisa membimbing,
Tatkala hilang tempat berpauh
Tuhan tak pernah jauh..

Salam Madah Pujangga,

Saadah Khair.

Teaching & Learning

12 November 2010 - Today is the last day of semester before final exam begin. It has been 4 months of working at IIC since July 2010. The end of the semester really mix all the feeling of sadness and happiness together.

Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah that I fulfilled my responsibilities to finish in teaching all the subjects which were assigned to me in the beginning of semester. Sometimes, I feel that it was too tough for me to teach 5 different subjects for 7 sections of students. Too many courses, students and responsibilities as well, but I try my best to develop the good intention and aim in this field of work especially in sharing knowledge. The Prophet said: بلغوا عني ولو آية

A class of my students. Photo credited to my students.

This week, I've been very sensitive person. I don't why but perhaps it is due to the busyness to complete their carry mark before final. In addition to that, some of my students really make me disappointed because of cheating and lying to me, and honestly I cannot judge them due to their marks and performance in class, but I need their hardworks and efforts. However, there are some students who always make me smile and do their best in study of any subjects. By the way, I still will pray for all of them to get success not only in the final exam, but for their future life, insyaAllah..

A present from my students. Jazakumullahukhairankatihra..

My hope is that to not make them remember or not forgetting me, but I do hope that they can practice what they learned along this semester, because all the knowledge that they learned are not only for their exam but will help them to be a better person, InsyaAllah..

Besides teaching, I'm learning so many things as well. Yes, I'm learning from my students. They helped me to be a good lecturer even though I'm not really good especially I'm new. This is our process of learning from mistakes and any shortcomings. The role of lecturer is not only teaching but they will learn from students as well..

End of word, I'm so grateful to teach and learn for this semester. All the best~! Be the best among the best~!

I'm really love this quotation: "Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers." -- Richard Bach

**New shelter is waiting for me.. Nervous.. Huhu

Cinta di dalam Gelas

Sinopsis Andrea Hirata di SINI.

Tatkala tajuk buku ini menjamah mata, pelbagai soalan berlegar di minda. Kenapa cinta itu harus di dalam gelas, bukan di rumah, bilik, buku atau sebagainya. Akhirnya segala persoalan terjawab sudah setelah buku ini tamat dibaca dalam masa seminggu.

Ya, cinta itu ada di mana-mana. Bukan sahaja gelas, bahkan di tempat atau barang yang kecil sekalipun. Cinta itu terlalu subjektif dan setiap orang ada definisi tersendiri tentang cinta. Kali ini, Andrea Hirata mengenengahkan cinta dengan begitu kreatif sekali. Sambungan kepada novel sebelum ini; Padang Bulan [Review di SINI], Enong itu adalah Maryamah, dan Maryamah itu adalah Maryamah Karpov yang pernah menjadi tajuk novel ke empat tetralogi Laskar Pelangi. Cadangan ku agar perlu ada tambahan informasi di novel MK untuk membaca CDG demi memahami erti sebenar nama tersebut.

KOPI. Kenapa air hitam itu yang menjadi pilihan? Sememangnya tatkala mebaca buku ini, kopi adalah teman terbaik, malah cintaku terhadap kopi semakin mekar..hehe.. Saya tertarik dengan cara penulis memberi gambaran sifat-sifat peminum kopi mengikut selera dan cara mereka memegang gelas. Lucu dan indah. Mungkin ada juga benarnya segala pemerhatian penulis, sehingga dibukukan di dalam "Buku Besar Peminum Kopi". Andai buku itu benar-benar wujud, izinkan saya membacanya dan mengetahui jenis apakah saya ini sebagai peminum kopi..

Secara halusnya, ia bukan sekadar air gula berwarna hitam, tapi mengandungi pelarian dan kegembiraan. Segelas kopi adalah ibarat dua belas teguk kisah kehidupan dan ensiklopedia yang tebal tentang watak seseorang. Manakala warung kopi berperanan sebagai laboratorium perilaku seseorang..

YAMUNA. Ia adalah nama sebuah sungai yang mengalir di antara Taj Mahal dan Benteng Merah, dan nama ini juga diberikan kepada sebuah mesin elektronik pengisar kopi. Entah mengapa saya terpesona dengan olahan penulis dalam mengaitkan mesin blender kopi dengan A Ling, cinta pertama Ikal. Mungkin ada persamaan antara mereka berdua di mana wujudnya the moment of silence. Ia mungkin hanya difahami oleh mereka yang setia pada cinta pertama.

CATUR. Menurutku, hanya orang yang benar-benar kreatif dan kritis sahaja yang bisa menang dalam permainan ini. Saya tahu cara bermain, tapi saya tak pernah menang walaupun bertanding dengan adik sendiri. Penulis menjelaskan secara terperinci peranan setiap butir catur dan cara bermainnya. Maryamah yang tidak pernah menyentuh papan catur itu mempunyai keupayaan luar biasa apabila niatnya belajar main catur berjaya sehinggalah menjadi juara catur berturut-turut. Ini semua adalah kerana kemahuan dan usaha Maryamah untuk membuktikan bahawa dia bukanlah selemah yang disangka walau dugaan sering menimpanya, dan tujuan mengalahkan bekas suaminya dalam pertandingan catur itu berjaya!

KARPOV. Nama ini diambil dari seorang pencatur terhebat peringkat dunia, Anatoly Karpov. Sejak Maryamah berjaya mempelajari teknik pencatur dunia tersebut dan bergelar juara berkali-kali, panggilan itu melekat padanya; Maryamah Karpov.

Ternyata, saya masih mengharapkan ada sambungan lagi selepas ini...

Pengajaran terbaik CDG ini adalah; Di mana ada kemahuan, di situ ada jalan. Di mana ada harapan, di situ terletaknya sebuah perjuangan. Di mana ada cinta, pastinya ada kenangan..

Selamat meneruskan perjuangan~!

**Kurangkan kopi dan manisan, tambahkan cinta dan senyuman.. ^_^

Who

Who wanna be my book
which is my loved one

OR

Who wanna be my bookshelves
which carry my love

[Confuse Mode]

**Republish from my old BLOG

Sweet Sour Weekend

5th November 2010

As planned earlier in the last month, I'm going back to JB for this weekend not for celebrating the Deepavali Day, but I'm waiting to go to the reunion with my friends on Saturday Night. At the same time, my bro-in-law is going to perform to Hajj, so, May Allah make everything easy for him and accepted his Ibadah InsyaAllah..

HOME always make me happy... A sweet Friday~!

6th November 2010

Something fishy happened, but this time with no bad or nice smell. It just happened in a second. Everything was my own fault...... I'm sorry dad.. I'm really sorry..


Sometimes, there are some lessons that cannot be found in class, school, college and university, but those lessons are more valuable and helpful in facing this challenging life.. Live life to the fullest~! Experience is the best lesson..

However, the Saturday Night changed the sour day into a very sweet day. I'm waiting this day for a long long time ago..... Honestly, I can't forget all memories in my first secondary school in Benut, Pontian. There were too many unforgettable memories and I learned a lot of things especially on what life is all about.. I'm not regret that I was a naughty girl previously in my school, because those days will be never forgotten..

Thanks a lot to Wan NorHanizan for willingly to be the programme organizer. We know that u had a headache but I'm sure that all of us satisfied with the simple gathering and reunion at Banafe Village, Johor Bahru. Simple is the best..

The first person I met was my old BFF. She was the first friend at secondary school known as my best buddy ever. Both of us cried because this was the first time we met after 11 years. Just imagine, 11 years are not a short distance of time. I really miss u Wana and I tried to search you since my undergraduate.. Alhamdulillah, I found u back.. and Facebook is the one who unite all of us back.. Ops! Allah is the one who did that, but Facebook is the medium of our communication..

Zawanah Raimi, my best buddy during secondary school.
She's working as Inspector Police at Taiping, Perak right now.

Honestly, I'm Happy. Yes, we were too happy at that night. We exchanged stories of our life, remembered back all stupid memories and the things that why we hate and love our school. Only Allah knows the meaning of happiness on that night in gathering and reunion with old friends after never met for more than 10 years. Yes we are physically and psychologically changed, but our memory never changed and this friendship will remain forever..

I'm little bit jealous when they brought their own families; husband and children..huhu

7th November 2010

Today, I'm going back to KL. No more sweetness, because when I'm coming to the campus, the thing that I have to think is tomorrow is working day and thesis writing still not finish yet..

But, after Maghrib prayer, my JASAian friends and I had a simple meeting and had dinner together at a restaurant. The last day we met was around 3 months ago. All of us busy with our own career and work, but we still never forget the Ukhuwwah that we build 4 years ago in a path called as "Perjuangan" still remain in our hearts. I really miss those memories.. I miss all our programmes.. I do hope that nothing can destroy this friendship except it was determined by Allah.. Our Pictures can be viewed HERE


**"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget"
I'm tired.... But I'm happy...

Hajj Mabrur & Du'a Maqbul

Labbaikallahumma labbaik..
Labbaika la sharika laka labbaik..
Innalhamda wanni'mata laka walmulk la sharikalak..

Going to the Pilgrimage is the fifth pillar of Islam. It is obligatory for those who financially, physically and mentally able to perform this Ibadah, at least once in a lifetime. Allah said in the Qur'an: “... And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses (for conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever disbelieves (i.e. denies Hajj, then he is a disbeliever of Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the ‘Alâmin (mankind and jinn).” (Qur’an 3:97)

Hajj Mabrur means that the Ibadah of performing Hajj is accepted by Allah for being performed perfectly according to the Prophet's Sunnah with legally earned money, avoiding sinful actions and evil deed during Hajj.

By the way, Du'a Maqbul means that the prayer and wish is accepted and answered by Allah as it is the essence of worship and the weapon of believers.

Those who get Hajj Mabrur, for sure all his du'a will be maqbul (answered) by Allah. It is because one of the reward for performing Hajj is the acceptance of their supplications (du'a). If we aske for Allah's forgiveness, He the Most Forgiving responds to our prayer as narrated in the Hadith:

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet SAW said, “Those who perform the Hajj and those who perform the umrah are people who have come to visit Allah. If they supplicate Him He will respond to them, and if they ask Him for forgiveness He will forgive them.” (Tirmidhi 2536 and Ibn Majah)

There are a lot of rewards for those who perform Hajj in a good manner which was mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah. A good article about those rewards can be read HERE.

As a conclusion, I wanna give a beautiful hadith, as a reminder to all Muslimah outside there, that the best Jihad for a woman is by performing Hajj. Let's us think the reason behind this hadith:

Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (RA) reported:
I said: "O Messenger of Allah! (SAW), We consider Jihad as the best deed, should we not then go for Jihad?''

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "The best Jihad for you women is Hajj Mabrur (i.e., one accepted by Allah).''

(Bukhari and Muslim)

** Wish all the best to my brother-in-law who will perform Hajj this year, who depart from JB - KLIA - Jeddah tomorrow. May Allah give him Hajj Mabrur, InsyaAllah..

**Wish to perform Hajj by my own money in the year 2020, InsyaAllah..

Intention

From the Amir al-Muminin Abu Hafs 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, radiya'llahu 'anhu, that he said,
"I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying,
'Actions are only by intentions, and every man has only that which he intended. Whoever's emigration is for Allah and His Messenger then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever's emigration is for some worldly gain which he can acquire or a woman he will marry then his emigration is for that for which he emigrated'."

This hadith is the first hadith compiled in the forty hadith by Imam an-Nawawi. And I'm sure that everyone of us heard and knew about the main message if this hadith. It's all about INTENTION.

Last weekend (29-31 October 2010), I went to Air Tenang Resort, Janda Baik as a lecturer accompanying IIC students who will graduate from the college. This is a compulsory programme for graduating students after studying around 3 years in IIC. Of course this is my first programme within months working here.


So, what is the connection between the hadith mentioned above and my story in Janda Baik? It will be like this.. Most of the students have different kinds of feeling while attending this programme. They have kind of perceptions that this is Ibadah Camp which relates to religious aspects only. Some of them might willingly come and some of them were not. They just want to pass their attendance, and then graduate from the college. So, all of them have different intentions, targets and aims. It's not only to students, but to lecturer as well..hmm

I don't want to tell the whole activities for 3 days and 2 nights here, but it was a good programme. They have to understand that Ibadah is not only praying and fasting. All of our actions can be considered as Ibadah if the intention is for the sake of Allah only. So, they have to purify their intentions and make all of their doings in this world as Ibadah, so InsyaAllah Allah will give the just rewards for them. If I can imagine that I am a student who participate in this programme, InsyaAllah it will be very worth and memorable after graduation, but I attended as a lecturer and facilitator, so of course, there were a lots of responsibilities..

My group: Number 11
The champion of Explorace Games

Anyway, all the best to all graduating students. Set a good intention and best target for your future. May Allah show all of you the clear and great future of life, and make everything easier for all of you. Grab any opportunities to seek knowledge and remember that there is no ending in the process of learning..

Ma'attaufiq wannajah.. ^_^

**Good BYE October, Welcome November.. Lots of things to do in November. Allahu Yusahhil~