How to spend your time during Ramadan

With iftars, going to Mosque and family gatherings (at least in person) off the agenda this year, Ramadan 2020 will be a time like no other. However, there are still plenty of ways to spend your time wisely during this period. Here are some of the ways the Kintsugi team will be spending our time during this holy month…

Read

Most of us wish we had time to read more, and with social isolation taking place throughout much of the world, we have been afforded some rare hours to rest, read and contemplate. Pick up new authors and expand your go-to reading material. If you need some help, these are the latest titles that the Kintsugi team have been reading, and of course you can turn to the Qu’ran during this time, a page or so each morning will set you up for the day ahead.

Learn to meditate

It’s a universal truth that the people who ‘don’t have time’ to meditate are the ones who would benefit the most from it. However, in this new slowed down world, devoid of commutes and commitments, perhaps you can use this time to explore the world of meditation, even just a few minutes a day will reap huge rewards. Headspace and Calm are great places to start. Or try it on your own with our Kintsugi guide here.

Cultivate a good habit

Drink more water, begin your day by stretching or simply move your phone away from your bed so it’s not the first thing you see each morning… is there a small thing that could make a big difference to your life? Small habits can take just 21 days to become automatic, meaning that by the end of Ramadan you could be doing it without noticing. Track your progress on Strides App.

Connect with family

While big iftars are sadly off the agenda this year, can you find other ways to connect with family? Perhaps you can set up a family zoom call, taking care to introduce the technology to anyone unfamiliar with it, and use it as a way to catch up or to organise prayers as a family. Or perhaps you can start a family tree project, tracing back your lineage through the generations – your future family will thank you.

Organise your memories

Remember the days of boxes of photos with fingerprints and writing on the back, always waiting for a future date to be filed neatly into frames and albums? Today these are more likely to be on your phone than in a shoebox, and yet despite being filed and organised, there is something more real and lovely about physical photographs, to be able to hold them in your hands or walk past them on your staircase and pause to take in a memory. Take this time to plunder your archives and send your favourites to be printed for frames or put them in a printed album by Kintsugi favourites Papier or Milk.

Learn a new skill

Have you always wanted to learn a language or get to grips with photography, or perhaps you have always planned to write a book someday… with the additional time at your disposal why not try to dedicate a small amount of time each a day to learning this new skill. Try not to make it a chore, if your mind immediately goes to two-hour-long French lessons in school you will feel overwhelmed and uninspired. Happily, according to the Babbel App the key to success is actually slowing down your learning so you can properly commit vocabulary to your long-term memory, just 15 minutes a day is enough to get started and commit. For a new skill, check out Masterclass, where you can learn directly from some of the world’s most accomplished names from Margaret Atwood to Annie Lebowitz.

Gardening

There is nothing like getting back to nature to sooth and heal our busy minds and to remind us of the beauty of the world around us. If you have outdoor space can you tend to the flowers and plants as best you can right now, if not, can you plant some seeds in your kitchen.

Gratitude list

Each day, take a moment to pause and consider ten things that you are truly grateful for (you can write them in a diary or notebook or even just count them off your fingers). This year more than ever, we have all been presented with an opportunity appreciate things that we usually take for granted, from everyday groceries and technology to connect us all to our health. See if you can keep it going throughout the year.

Working

Finally, if you are a key worker, or working from home during Ramadan, remember to take regular breaks throughout the day for rest and reflection, perhaps around salaah times.

Ramadan Kareem.