With Ramadan right around the corner, many of us are wondering if we are prepared to face the holy month, enduring the heat with no water, the long days with no food, and, brace yourselves, the work day with no coffee…
It’s scary, I know, but with the right planning and preparation, you can make the transition smooth and easy, keeping your energy levels balanced, your stress levels low and your productivity levels at work unaffected. Here are 7 tips to get you started:
Some of us expect to just get right into the routine of fasting as soon as Ramadan starts, but this is almost never true. Your body takes time to get accustomed to the lower food intake and decreased energy levels. Get a head-start and fast for a few days right before Ramadan starts. If possible, get started on a weekend, and allow your body to settle to your new routine.
You need to have a healthy and well-balanced diet in Ramadan, which also makes it the perfect time to fix your regular eating habits and build a routine that you can stick with throughout the year. With less time to eat, you really need to pay attention to what you are giving your body, especially during Suhoor. Make sure you are getting your nutrient intake, to keep your energy levels up during the month. Eat smaller portions than you usually would, but more frequently, between the hours of Iftar and Suhoor. Most importantly, drink plenty of water and keep your body hydrated.
Do you dread waking up with a terrible headache because your body and brain have become so accustomed to coffee constantly running through your veins? Good news! This can be avoided! Start weaning off of coffee early on! Slowly decrease your intake till you cut it down to 1-2 cups a day. Once Ramadan starts, you can start having a cup of coffee during Suhoor. This can help keep the morning headache and coffee withdrawal symptoms at bay. It will definitely still be tough the first couple of days, but your body will get used to the more sporadic intake. Too much coffee is unhealthy anyway!
I know this is not easy, especially during the summer months when Iftar comes later in the evening, and everyone saves their activities and social life for the cooler hours and for after food, but honestly, there is nothing more important for your body during Ramadan than sleep. It is the only way you will get the energy boost you need during the day and keeping your body healthy and happy.
Are you worried about exercising while fasting? Fear not! It is actually completely healthy to exercise during Ramdan, and whether your do it before breaking your fast or after, there are proven scientific benefits to it. Here are some tips from the experts about what kinds of exercise you should be doing, as well as the best times for you to do so.
In Ramadan, we all tend to allocate more time to spiritual and charitable activities than any other time of the year. But we also tend to spend a lot more time in front of the TV screen, or socializing around a deck of cards. You might start to notice that this cuts into your time and into other things you needed to do on a certain day, whether for work, or otherwise. To avoid this, make a plan every day, set specific times to go and do the things you need to do, such as your grocery shopping, your laundry, or finishing that article you started writing for work, then fill your free time with the other less important activities. You will feel much more efficient and relaxed knowing that you’re done with the essential stuff.
Trust me when I say this! Get the tough tasks done first. This is my rule every day, not only during Ramadan. Later on in the day your energy levels will be running lower, your brain will not be as focused, and you simply won’t be in the mood for the big projects, with a million tiny details that you need to concentrate on! Organize your work load, sort them by difficulty, and get the tough stuff out of the way.