1. Reflection

First and foremost, Ramadan is a month of reflection.

Ramadan is a recognition that we live fast-paced lives. We’re always concentrating on today. How much money did I make? How many hours did I spend in the office? Will I be able to cover my bills? Am I gaining too much weight? Do I need to work harder for that promotion?

And so and so forth.

Ramadan is one time in the year when people stop, and take a look at their lives. When they fast, they automatically break their routines. Their breakfast routines, snack routines, lunch routines, dinner routines — even their sleep routines. And by breaking one’s routine, a person is forced to take a good look at their lives and re-calibrate.

Do I like the habits I have? Do I like where I am in my life? What’s gone well over this past year? What did I want to achieve but didn’t?

It’s kind of like setting a New Year’s Resolution. Except, you have a whole month to reflect on where you are and where you want to be.

Learning point: Take some time off from your life to break your normal routines, and reflect on your life. Reflect on where you are, what you’re doing and your habits. Are you where you want to be? If not, what are you going to do about it?

Photo by Faye Cornish on Unsplash.

2. Habit-building

We’ve all read a million and one articles on how long it takes to build a habit. I’ve seen a pretty wide range from about 21–90 days.

Ramadan assumes it takes approximately 4 weeks to build a new habit.

Muslims use Ramadan as an opportunity to reflect on the positive habits they can implement in their lives.

Why? Originally, because Muslims were told that any good they did during the month of Ramadan would be multiplied by 70. So it was a strong incentive for them to build good habits.

The more after-life-oriented Muslims still believe that. For many others, though, it’s become tradition to challenge themselves to build a new good habit over the month of Ramadan.

It’s effective because everyone around them is doing it too. Even if a person doesn’t live around Muslims, they’re connected to other Muslims on the internet. And they’re all supporting each other to build better daily habits during Ramadan.

It could be going to the gym. Or going for a walk. Or writing everyday.

When someone breaks their normal routine by staying away from food, they have to build a new routine for the month of Ramadan. And this is a great opportunity to build in new good habits into your daily routine.

Learning point: Find something pretty fixed in your routine, and change it. It could be your meal-times. As you build your new routine, incorporate a new daily habit. Keep it small. Small actions that you can maintain consistently sometimes yield the biggest effects. What do you want to achieve? What do you wish was part of your daily life?

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash.

3. Balance

Ramadan is about staying grounded — maintaining balance.

There’s a reason 80% of American Muslims fast during Ramadan. That giant percentage of Muslims don’t pray around the year or follow many of the religion’s other means of worship.

But it’s because fasting in Ramadan is seen as more than another act of worship. It helps people to keep balance in their lives.

How? Because when you spend a day refraining from food, and you spend a night praying or reading Quran, you’re reminded that there’s more to life outside of your day job and your bills and your worries. You’re reminded that there’s something else out there, whatever that something may be.

That something may just be a more realistic perspective of the diversity of the world we live in: you’re connected to millions of people around the world also refraining from food. You know that some of them are in war-zones, some in hospitals, others in palaces. You realise that the world won’t end if you don’t submit your report on time — your report will be late, that’s all. And life goes on. The world goes on.

When you realise that life goes on, you’re able to let go of your stress. To find balance in your priorities and your life.

Learning point: Remember that there’s more to life outside of this moment, outside of today. Find something that keeps you balanced, and keeps you connected with others around the globe. Remember that the earth still spins round, and that life still goes on.

When you find your balance, consider what your priorities are. What’s worth staying up at night for? What’s the worst that could happen? When you let go of your fears and your stresses, and you consider your priorities in life, what’s the best that could happen?