Building a Mindful Community for Better Mental Wellbeing

Written by: Maryam Adhyan Shafeeq

Mental health awareness and speaking up against the stigma surrounding mental health issues is nothing new to our community. Yet, despite the immeasurable effort by professionals in the mental health field, there is still a gap in our community in establishing ground-level support for those enduring various mental health issues. Highlighting Maldivian society, as Muslims, there are numerous things we can do to enhance our mental well-being. Maldives embraced Islam on the 2nd of Rab’ al-Akhir, bringing the community together in faith, fostering empathy within our society and encouraging people to seek the help they need. Circling back to the initial matter at hand, this was the beginning of building a community that encourages mindfulness and prioritises the mental well-being of its people.

Mindfulness is known as a state of mind where one is entirely aware of the present moment, including their thoughts, body, sensations, consciousness, and what is around them, while at the same time being accepting and open to it (Javadian, et al., 2025). One would wonder how simply being aware of themselves can help with their mental health. Various studies have suggested that incorporating mindfulness into daily life can have an impact on reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress levels (Javadian, et al., 2025). This is because it involves accepting an individual’s present thoughts, feelings, and sensations in their bodies with zero judgement. As these studies highlight, experiencing the present moment openly and without any judgement can cancel out a trigger or stressor that an individual is experiencing by removing their focus from the past and the future and bringing them back to the present (Javadian, et al., 2025). Now, how can this be incorporated into a community practising Islam?

Being fully present and in the moment is highly encouraged in Islamic tradition. As stated by Aldbyani (2025), through their daily prayers, interactions with one another, and relationship with Allah, Muslims are always encouraged to be mindful. Maintaining our focus on exactly what we are doing and how we do it is extremely valued. For example, when getting dressed, eating during mealtimes, entering our homes, and using the restroom, it is advised to maintain a gentle, compassionate attitude throughout these everyday tasks (Aldbyani, 2025). In addition, Aldbyani (2025) also notes that as mindfulness includes being consciously aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations regarding everything around them, it is also a practice in which one can

communicate with themselves in a way that enriches their experiences. Being mindful allows an individual to fully participate in everything happening around them, grounding them in the process. Furthermore, a study that explored Islamic mindfulness showed that mindfulness practices reduced depression, the amount of stress experienced, and enhanced the psychological functioning of Muslim participants. Moreover, this study also noted how daily prayers are linked to an increase in parasympathetic activity and a decrease in sympathetic activity (Aldbyani, 2025). This means that it allows the body to reduce physical symptoms of stress experienced and allows the body to return to a relaxed state.

As we mark the day the Maldives embraced Islam year after year, let us grow as a community that encourages mindfulness. From the values taught through Islam, let us prioritise our mental well-being and ensure that every day we are present in our experiences, thoughts, and feelings, and that we accept and support one another as a community without judgement.

References

Aldbyani, A. (2025). Exploring Islamic mindfulness: Cultural practices and their impact on public health outcomes. Mindfulness, 16(3), 695-701.

Javadian, S., Riggs, E. & Quach, J. (2025). Mindfulness-Based Art Interventions for Promoting Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Well-being: A Systematic Review. Mindfulness 16, 1159–1182 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02570-3