By Feeling too burnt out and frustrated to pray? I can bet almost all Muslims have come to a point in their lives when they have felt unmotivated to do their acts of worship and still can’t simply live without guilt haunting them. Ramadan has passed, and without the strong spiritual aura of the holy month, it can be hard to keep praying when you’re burnt out. It can be harder without having the motivation to make prayer a regular act of worship in your life.
As someone who struggles with prayer, I have found ways that make praying salah a little more manageable.
1. Have a Support System
It’s easier to pray when there are people around to remind you to keep your prayers. Make your family and friends your accountability buddies, and do the same for them. Ask your parents and siblings to tell you when it’s prayer time. Ask your closest friends to send you a text when the Adhan comes on.
2. Set Alarms
I have alarms on my phone that go off at the scheduled prayer times for the day. This is a super effective method because the loud chimes of the alarms will remind you when it’s time for salah.
3. Educate Yourself
Sometimes, it’s not that we can’t pray; it’s that we don’t want to. I have struggled with the guilt and shame that comes from this. What helps me get back into the swing of things is watching YouTube videos about the daily prayers. It’s nice to hear someone talk about the benefits of salah.
This leads me to my next point…
4. Journal
Writing is an amazing healing and organization tool. Imagine how much more focus and motivation you would have to pray if you made a journal dedicated to the topic. Write down why you didn’t pray that day.
Write down what makes you want to wake up for fajr. Make a list of the five daily prayers, and check off each one after you pray. And remember…
5. Be Gentle on Yourself
I get it. Praying salah can be a challenge in today’s society. We live in a bustling 21st-century world in a time when the to-do list of a first-world woman is usually longer than it should be. It can also be harder to keep praying if you struggle with mental illness.
As someone with OCD, praying salah sometimes gives me way more anxiety than the average person. Sometimes, I pray all of the prayers at the end of the day before I go to sleep. Many people might think I’m sinning, and maybe I am, but I’m also forgiving towards myself since I know I struggle (a lot). Try to pray all the prayers on time, and know if you have a hard time doing so, you are not alone.
Do you struggle with staying on track with your prayer? Slide to our DMs at @muslimgirl on Instagram and share your thoughts with us on how you manage to stay consistent!