No one said practicing self-growth was going to be easy, but we can promise you it will be worth it. In Ep. 23 of Season 2 we sit down with Sumayyah Taufique to discuss self growth, learning how to show ourselves compassion and the concept of spiritual bypassing. When you think of your ideal day of self-care, you probably think of a nice long bath, a trip to the spa or a day spent Netflixing surrounded by your favorite food. According to Sumayyah, there’s nothing wrong with that. But she also says there’s another level of self-care that produces long-term effects, rather than just handling what’s on the surface. Self-growth allows us to focus on the root cause of the issue and coming up with solutions to change what’s actually triggering us. This process may be more work than just soaking in the tub, but it’s crucial to get you going on your journey to wellness. When was the last time you sat down and talked to yourself? If it’s been a while, well you’re not alone there. Sumayyah says checking in on ourselves will help give insight into the direction we need to go in - to support your mental health. Ask yourself questions, like, “Why did I react to something seemingly small, in such a big way?”, “Why was I triggered by that action?” Stop treating your feelings like unwanted guests. The longer and harder we fight to hide and suppress our emotions, the louder they yell. Go and get your Drake on, girl, it’s ok to cry it out. Do you ever feel guilty for feeling sad rather than being “more grateful”? It’s called spiritual bypassing and Sumayyah explains how we can avoid using faith as an avoidance mechanism. It’s not haram to cry, it’s not wrong to feel sad and it’s more than ok to be all up in your feelings. The benefits of therapy are also discussed in this episode. We spend so much time and effort getting to know the people around us, but isn’t it time we invest that same energy into ourselves, too? We think so.Enjoy and remember to follow us on Instagram: @unsweetenedandunfilteredFollow Sumayyah on Instagram: @growthwork