My Ramadan awakening ignited something in my heart. I may have experienced many years of Ramadan, but this was the best so far. I knew I couldn’t allow myself to go back to where I was spiritually and made a sincere intention to preserve my spiritual high. The thought of not being able to keep up the Ramadan spirit was depressing and caused me to reflect deeply on what was hindering my desire to continue.  Through reflection, I realised I had limited certain acts of worship and habits to the holy month.  A much needed shift in mind set was the only way I was going to overcome the ‘Ramadan blues’. 

Although Ramadan has countless blessings, many of the acts of worship can also be performed outside it. Voluntary prayers, reading the Quran, giving charity and other praiseworthy acts were not temporary acts to be abandoned after Ramadan.
The shift in mindset gave me a new perspective. I now saw Ramadan as a season of change and was determined to get more than a one month boost. I was craving a permanent change in my life and was certain that being consistent in some of the good habits I had developed would result in permanent change.

The usual overwhelming sadness I felt was replaced with a glimpse of hope as I planned for life beyond Ramadan. I had been gifted with a month of renewal and change to allow me to build a foundation for self improvement and connection with my Lord, Allah. The blessed month was proof of what I could achieve which in itself I was grateful for.

My tried and tested five valuable tips on how to preserve your Ramadan high are:

Reflection; 
Being honest with ourselves and reflecting on our current spiritual state will help us create a Post Ramadan vision for ourselves. Identifying our strengths and weaknesses allows us to clearly define areas that need improvement. We are told many times to reflect and contemplate in the Quran and hadith, Ramadan is the perfect time for this.

Do not limit fasting to the month of Ramadan;
Fasting is not limited to the month of Ramadan. There are many voluntary fasts that are recommended throughout the year such as; fasting all of most of Shaban, 6 days of Shawwal, 9 days of Dhi’l- Hijjah, days of Arafat and Ashurah, 3 days of every month (13th, 14, and 15th), every Monday and Thursday, every second day and in Muharram.

Continuous charity;
Make giving charity a lifestyle.
We are strongly encouraged to give charity regularly to purify our wealth. Setting up regular payments through our bank account to give to a good cause every month is one way to ensure we are giving charity continuously. Give a small amount each month that you can commit to, it may seem insignificant but it’s a consistent way to earn reward.

Maintain at least one Ramadan habit;
Pick at least one Ramadan habit you will continue after Ramadan. Be realistic and choose something you are confident you can continue. The aim is to make it a habit which will stay with you for the rest of your life. If we successfully add Ramadan habits every year, over time we would have developed very good lifelong habits!

Prayer;
We need Allah’s help and guidance in everything we do, no matter how small. Sincerely pray to Allah to help you preserve the good habits that you have been doing specifically the ones you want to continue after Ramadan.

Use this Ramadan as an opportunity to lay the foundation for the coming year. In what way will you renew yourself and grow spiritually for the coming year? What Ramadan habits will you continue?