Building Good Habits During Ramadan

“In Muslim tradition, Ramadan is a time of heightened commitment to piety and purification through special observances such as fasting, the performance of good deeds – including charitable giving and voluntary service – and through personal sacrifices of material comforts. These observances can lead to spiritual fulfilment and a sense of renewal.” The Ismaili

For some, fasting can be challenging and in some cases, impossible, due to health reasons (blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol) or even lifestyle (frequent traveling or above average physical activity). However, there are ways you can still observe the holy month of Ramadan and in fact simultaneously improve your lifestyle.

The holy month of Ramadan is about purification of the body, mind and soul, self control or restraint, and selflessness.

While I was in high school, I had come to learn about the basic notion about habits. Did you know that it takes 30 days to make or break a habit? And did you know that after creating a habit it takes 2 to 3 months for it to become a part of your lifestyle. This notion gave me a lightbulb moment. I took the core significance of this Muslim tradition and applied the notion of habits during the holy month of Ramadan to create one good habit and/or remove a bad habit (baby steps, best not to bite off more than you can chew).

Some of the observances I have done are:

• Instead of fasting, I chose to make more health conscious decisions regarding the food I consumed; eliminated pop/soda, fried foods, fast food, etc.

• I made a concerted effort to purify my mind; refrain from negative thoughts or feelings towards myself and others, tried not to cuss or curse.

• I committed to improving my health by increasing physical activity daily; gym workouts, daily walks, runs, swimming, sports, etc.

What I found at the end of the month, was that these practices had slowly become a part of my daily routine, I had built a habit that had a positive impact on my wellbeing, putting me one step closer to turning these new habits into a lifestyle. Although, some of the things I eliminated have crept back into my life; I enjoy fried foods every now and then, I do get frustrated and angry from time to time, however, I feel like I have more self control and the ability to catch and correct myself to avoid falling into old habits of unhealthy over indulgence, impulsiveness and selfishness.

Wishing you all a very special, insightful, uplifting, and fulfilling holy month of Ramadan.