Get ready! With Ramadan approaching, we’re gearing up for fasting from dawn until dusk. Amidst our spiritual practices and must-watch and must-eat rituals, we need to master productivity while fasting, especially for those of us juggling work commitments.
Here are five tips to keep in your mind.
Plan, Plan, and Plan!
During Ramadan, you may often find yourself lacking energy, so the key to being productive is to save your energy and focus it on specific tasks – those that are worth your energy.
How? Through to-do lists.
Such lists will prioritize your tasks, and you’ll know what needs to be done and what can be parked or shifted toward the end of the afternoon. At that time, hunger will be kicking in and affecting the whole office’s productivity.
If you have meetings, schedule them for earlier in the day when your energy levels are at their peak. Avoid scheduling them close to breakfast time when you’re too hungry to function effectively.
Eat and Drink Well
No food. No drinks. That’s what we learned first about Ramadan.
You spend a lot of time without food or water. While that’s biologically fine and healthy, we need to actively eat nutritious food when we break our fast to make sure we have enough fuel for the next working day. So you shouldn’t base your breakfast and suhoor on junk food or sweets.
Instead, prioritize proteins, vegetables, fruits, fiber, and everything else that screams nutrition. It’s fine to include sweets and the like, but don’t base your whole diet on them. They can make or break your fasting hours.
Another tip here is to never skip suhoor. Diet-conscious and One Meal A Day (OMAD) people aside, if you’re heavily working and you need lots of energy and focus in your fasting hours, you shouldn’t be skipping suhoor. It’s the opposite—you have to eat healthy portions of food during that meal, but don’t overeat or drink.
Final tip: Drink, drink, and DRINK. Do this throughout the day, not three liters of water before suhoor.
Have a Good Night’s Sleep
Similar to eating and drinking well, getting enough sleep allows your body and mind to recharge, helping you stay sharp and focused throughout the day.
Sufficient sleep even supports better stress management and emotional regulation, reducing the possibility of fatigue and irritability interfering with your work. That’s super important during fasting.
Just as your body will adjust to the new eating habits, you need to help it rest by fixating on a healthy sleeping schedule and not staying awake unnecessarily for too long (especially tonight).
Stay Excited
Office vibes in Ramadan might be a bit boring, especially since a very important staple has been removed from the equation: eating and drinking. You won’t be asking your colleague about today’s breakfast order, your coffee break, the midday snack, the random sips of water, etc.
You’ll forget all these habits and rituals. So you need to replace them with other activities that can energize your mind without unnecessarily tiring you (remember, focus on where you put your energy).
For instance, walk around the office, chat with your colleagues, or do a quick stretching or exercise if you’re used to that. You can also watch some videos on your mobile phone during breaks or maybe even play a game with your friend.
Communicate
People feel tired more than usual in Ramadan. That’s a fact. It shouldn’t be used as an excuse not to work, though. But it’s usual to feel tired, overwhelmed, or lacking energy during fasting hours at the office. When that happens, communicate with your colleagues.
Tell your boss. Seek help from a workmate. Find solutions, and don’t shy away from asking for help because you’re tired.
Have a Productive Ramadan
So that was pretty it. Eat well, drink well, sleep well, communicate with your colleagues, stay excited, and play your days ahead. This way, you’ll hopefully enjoy a super productive Ramadan.