Overcoming the Post-Ramadan Blues
For many Muslims, it happens every year . . . Ramadan brings a renewed spirit, a spiritual high that ends with a wonderful Eid celebration in the company of family and friends. You might then go on a vacation (especially now that Ramadan coincides with the beginning of summer). But then eventually you have to get back into the day to day routines of mundane life. And you realize, you miss Ramadan. Maybe not necessarily the part where you were hungry all the time, but with that forced discipline came a refocusing of your heart, mind and soul. Maybe you used this special month to read the Holy Quran in its entirety; maybe you became reinvested in your daily prayers.
Many Muslims throw themselves into Ramadan, hoping to bring themselves closer to their creator Allah (swt). But what happens when Ramadan is over? Is it back to normal? One of the main purposes of Ramadan is actually to help us re-focus our life on the most important things, including our faith and our relationship with Allah. With this in mind, it is definitely important to try to hold onto and even improve on the growth you made during Ramadan, and apply it to your everyday life going forward. But while many Muslims will take the extra time to focus on Allah during Ramadan, by taking time off of work, or putting aside other priorities, we might not have that same amount of time to allot to our spiritual needs once Ramadan is over. This can easily lead one to give up trying altogether.
So then what can we do? How can we hold onto that Ramadan spirit and keep this spiritual high going? Here’s a few tips on accomplishing just that:
Don’t lose the momentum!
If Ramadan put you into a new routine and new habits, try to keep at least some of those changes in place going forward. One of the best ways to do this is by continuing to wake up early. Since you are already used to waking up for Suhoor, keep in the rhythm. Wake up earlier than you normally would before Ramadan, and make sure to start your day right with prayer, reflection, and remembrance of Allah.
Improve on Your Improvements
During Ramadan, many will try to accomplish some goal of improving themselves. Maybe you memorized a new surah for prayer, or started doing regular acts of charity or volunteering. Continue working on some of your goals post-Ramadan – why stop now? For spiritual goals and self awareness, the Dua Journal is a great tool in helping you to focus daily on your current spiritual status.
Continue Learning
Ramadan is a great to dive into learning with reading Quran, studying Tajweed, and gaining spiritual knowledge. To keep up with this, try reading a new book, listening to a new podcast, or enrolling in a class at your local masjid.
With all these plans for changes, there is no doubt you will need to re-examine the priorities in your life to make sure you are able to give time to your continuing spiritual journey. For this, it might be helpful to sit down and make a list of the things that are most important to you, and goals for each of those aspects. You might even make a plan or schedule for how to continue achieving your spiritual goals.
Inshallah with these tips and some dedication, you will be able to continue on your spiritual high and avoid the post-Ramadan blues.
Cover photo by Landahlauts on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
