Working? How to keep your focus straight during Ramadan

During the holy month of Ramadan, more than 1.6 billion Muslims in the world are fasting from any food and drink in the daylight. Ramadan should be a time for reflection and giving, and also one of the five pillars of Islam.

However, without food, drink and lack of sleep, energy level will go down among those in the workforce.  This is a tough situation for Muslims working in an office environment. But with a few strategies and a firm mind set, fasting employees can still be productive despite reduced working hours.

How to make the most of your day while fasting? Consider these tips:

1. Plan in Advance

The main challenge people face during Ramadan is keeping their minds focused.  Hunger and sleep deprivation can kick in as a distraction. If you plan your days carefully, you can focus your time and attention to your plan. The challenge is to keep your momentum going.

Try to schedule things that need high energy during the morning such as meetings, calls, and other interpersonal interactions. High priority tasks should be done first.  Some least important tasks can be done towards the end of the day.

2. Working in the morning

Plan the bulk of your tasks early in the morning. Your mind and body are sharpest during the morning, right after eating. It’s smart to schedule mind intensive tasks during this time. Right after the morning meal, you may find it hard to sleep. You can use this time to answer emails and messages without distraction. There are useful tools for Gmail such as Boomerang where you can delay your messages to suit business hours.  

3. Calls instead of meetings

Motion can drain your energy. Walking, driving, and meeting one client to another can surely drain your energy. Instead of meeting clients, why not schedule a video call or a phone call? Not only can you get work done, but you also spent less energy.  It saves you travel time which can be allotted for other tasks.

4. Take Afternoon Naps

The toughest time for those fasting can be the afternoon and early evening. This is the point where you experience the lowest energy. Do not shy away from afternoon naps to pass the time and regain energy. This can recharge your senses just in time for the evening meal.

5. Avoid Food Talk

This is a number one no-no during Ramadan. Keep your focus straight by avoiding anything that has to do with food, even the thought of food. This can be tiring and meaningless. Just think of happy thoughts.

6. Discover other ways to regain energy

If you can’t take a short nap in the office, you can simply go to the washroom and wash your face. This helps you stay energized throughout the day. Spraying on some perfume can also help.

7. Work out

Exercise is a major energy booster. Your productivity and metabolism will be boosted that can last throughout the work day. You can work out before and after Iftar daily to aid in better digestion.

8. Limit distractions

You can have endless distractions at work. You just have to focus and try not to obsess with countdowns to Iftar. Limit the use of social media to after work hours to complete your daily tasks at hand.

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