The Pressure to Heal, Fix, and Be Enough

Over the past few days we have been reflecting on the things we consume and how they affect our mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. From the flood of negative news to the curated lives we see online, we have begun to see how much of what enters through our screens slowly begins to shape our inner world.

Today, I would like you to reflect on something that is a little more subtle. Something that many of us turn to with good intentions, but which can sometimes leave us feeling even more lost and unsettled.

It is the overwhelming amount of advice and guidance we are exposed to every single day. Health advice, therapy tools, trauma education, mental health tips, coaching strategies, productivity methods, parenting frameworks, self-help mantras, emotional regulation practices, Islamic reminders, spiritual reflections, prophetic habits, du‘ā plans, morning and night routines, nervous system work, journaling, detachment, mindfulness, boundaries, shadow work, attachment theory, inner child healing, toxic relationships, forgiveness techniques — and so much more.

All of this comes at us in quick posts, reels, carousels, story slides, webinars and podcasts. And at first, it may feel empowering. We might feel like we are learning, growing, becoming more aware. But eventually, if we are not intentional, it can have the opposite effect.

It becomes too much. Too many voices. Too many instructions. Too many perspectives. Too many expectations of who you should be and what you should be doing.

You start feeling like you are never enough.

Never healthy enough.

Never spiritual enough.

Never healed enough.

Never patient enough.

Never grateful enough.

Never regulated enough.

Never productive enough.

You start thinking you are not doing life right. That something must be wrong with you because you still feel sad. You still feel anxious. You still fall into the same habits. You still feel lost sometimes.

Instead of feeling encouraged to take small, sincere steps, you begin to feel paralysed. Not inspired, but overwhelmed. Not motivated, but stuck.

You become afraid to take any step in case it is not the right one.

You start doubting your instincts.

You begin comparing your process to others.

You lose your sense of direction.

You freeze under the pressure to do it all.

And maybe most painfully, you start questioning your relationship with Allah.

You start wondering, “Why am I not feeling better?”

“Why am I still struggling?”

“Why do I feel so distant?”

But here is the truth.

You were never meant to carry this much.

You were never created to absorb a hundred opinions a day on how to fix yourself.

You were never expected to master every concept, every practice, every form of healing and development all at once.

Even the most beneficial reminders, when consumed in excess, can become burdensome. And too many voices, even if they are speaking truth, can drown out your own heart’s voice. They can blur your connection with Allah, simply because your focus has shifted from turning to Him to trying to do everything perfectly.

Allah is not asking you to be perfect. He is not asking you to know everything.

He is simply asking you to come back to Him.

To call on Him.

To rely on Him.

To seek clarity from Him.

To walk your path with sincerity, not pressure.

So take a step back. Pause the scrolling. Create some silence. Let your soul breathe. Ask Allah to guide you to what you need right now, in your current season of life.

It might not look like what everyone else is doing.

It might not be a fancy routine.

It might not be something you can explain in aesthetic words.

But if it brings your heart closer to Allah, if it helps you live with more peace, more presence, more purpose, then it is enough.

You are not behind. You are not broken. You are simply navigating a world that has become far too loud.

So return to simplicity.

Return to stillness.

Return to your Rabb.

He is not far.

He never left.