What’s the deal with Ramadan Burnout?…

For me Ramadan starts off with a bang! You’re motivated, energised, organised. Then slowly when the 2^nd and 3^rd week hit, that jam packed Ramadan schedule starts to take it’s toll. It’s supposed to be a month where you are spiritually superior than before, you tell yourself. But why then do I feel exhausted mentally? And why is it that the age old Dunya worries start to cloud my head again? I thought I established that this life is temporary on Day 3? concerns start to cloud my mind, which was empty of these menial worries not so long ago.

It makes you feel guilty, that it’s this elevated spiritual month, so why is it that you are still getting involuntary thoughts about the concerns of this world?

…My thoughts are…that life still happens, and chances are you’re going to still experience your problems and worries during Ramadan be it financial or familial. Allah does not make us sages and wipe concerns from our psyches only temporarily during Ramadan, only to restore them come Eid. Because if he did that, there wouldn’t be any true transformation and development. Instead, we still have these issues and we have to face it head on in Ramadan, that difficulty, and pain we experience, that’s where the growth is. And Ramadan IS about growth, it’s about levelling up spiritually, which means that we have to go through the challenges.

Hence, Allah has designed the blessed month as such that, he facilitates our transformation, instead of removing our worries. This is important because the latter is the easy route, whereas the former is where the bigger blessing is as he is helping sculpt us into better Muslims, inclining us towards Him in a more lasting way.

The way He facilitates it is by restraining the influence which Shaytaan has over us, and as a result, there is one less major variable to contend with. We can now focus on purifying ourselves, coming face to face with the Nafs and strive to establish control over it.

So, we’re still going to go through Dunya challenges during Ramadan, life’s still going to show up, but it’s a training ground where our chances of coming out the other side, stronger, more resilient and closer to faith are better, Alhamdullilah.