12 Islamic Healthy Habits and How to Maintain Them

We live in a society where in rushing to take care of our day-to-day to-do list, we forget to take care of ourselves. We rush to do this and to do that, to take care of this person and that person. And in the process, we neglect ourselves. And an accumulation of bad habits over time can no doubt have a negative ending.

Good habits not only benefit our physical, emotional, and mental health, but also our spiritual. Each of us has been given a new opportunity daily to do better than we did yesterday, so why not seize it? It can be daunting starting something new, our minds naturally flood with numerous questions. “How do I do it?” “When do I start?” but most importantly, “How do I start?” 

It’s easier to feel a sense of direction when we narrow things down. That starts with asking the right questions. In what parts of our lives do we need healthy habits? The answer is “in every part!” – but what are they? 

What can also help is to categorise these habits you want to implement. Rather than listing a bunch of healthy habit ideas, what categories would they fit into? 

Imagine yourself as a plant that needs to be taken care of daily. A plant needs sunlight, water etc in order to grow. In order for us to grow, we need to ensure we’re nurturing ourselves.

Here is a hack you can implement in your everyday life to ensure you’ve got yourself covered – ask yourself this: 

Have I done something today for my mind, my soul, and my body? 

Healthy Habits for the Mind

1. Journal

Write about your day and anything you might have felt was a hurdle. Write about your wins and the things that made you feel grateful to Allah.

2. Challenge it

Do something intellectually stimulating like learning a new language – after all, this is our duty as Muslims! Aim to seek knowledge regularly to expand your knowledge.

3. Meet a friend

Make sure you meet those whose company you benefit from, and remember that staying in touch with our fellow brothers and sisters will help not only keep us healthy but our ummah healthy as well inshallah.

Healthy Habits for the Body

4. Go for a daily walk

Try to set some time aside in your routine to go for a 20–30-minute walk to ensure you are staying active – having a healthy body will help you stay spiritually healthy as well.

5. Try stretching

Try stretching in the morning or before bed, this will help you feel less stiff and more refreshed.

6. Go to bed on time

Getting enough sleep is essential for a healthy functioning body – create a routine where you are sleeping and waking up at a reasonable hour. This can also help you pray fajr on time inshallah.

7. Consume food mindfully

Be mindful of what you’re consuming on the day-to-day. This can massively impact how your body feels, so try to consume fruits and vegetables daily.

8. Stay hydrated

Make sure you are drinking enough water! Nobody likes the feeling of being dehydrated.

Healthy Habits for the Soul

9. Pray on time

We can easily make excuses as to why something may be more important than our salah. When the time comes to pray, our mind may still be focused on an unfinished task. But it’s very important to realise that this is a trap of the Shaitaan. There is nothing more important than praying that prayer on time, no matter what you may tell yourself. That is where your true success lies – in this life and in the next. 

10. Make time for your Qur’an

Setting aside time in the day to read a portion of the Qur’an will make more of a difference than you realise. Reading the words of your Lord can only bring calmness to the heart amongst the hectic day-to-day feelings you may face. The more Qur’an you read the better you feel. 

11. Don’t forget your dhikr!

Another extremely important way to water your soul is to ensure your tongue is constantly moist with the remembrance of Allah. Again, it’s easy to convince yourself that something else deserves your immediate attention. When the reality is, dhikr adds to your scale massively in the next life, inshallah. 

12. And finally…

Try to make it a habit to remind yourself to rely on Allah first and foremost!

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْكَسَلِ وَالْهَرَمِ، وَالْمَأْثَمِ وَالْمَغْرَمِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ النَّارِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْغِنَى، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْفَقْرِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ

Allahumma inni a‘oodhu bika min al-kasali wal-harami wa’l-ma’thami wa’l-maghrami, wa min fitnat il-qabri wa ‘adhaab al-qabri, wa min fitnat in-naari wa’adhaab in-naar, wa min sharri fitnat il-ghina, wa a‘oodhu bika min fitnat il-faqri wa a‘oodhu bika min fitnat il-maseeh id-dajjaal.

O Allah, I seek refuge with You from laziness and old age, from sin and debt, from the trial of the grave and the punishment of the grave, from the trial of the Fire and the punishment of the Fire, and from the evil of the trial of wealth; I seek refuge with You from the trial of poverty, and I seek refuge with You from the trial of the Dajjal.