Ramadan Tips: How to Keep Your Energy Up

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, it brings with it a time of profound worship, spiritual growth, and community giving.

During Ramadan, Muslims around the world not only abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset but also focus on enhancing their behavior and reactions. This sacred month is an opportunity to practice patience, self-restraint, and mindfulness, even when faced with the emotional and physical challenges of hunger, tiredness, and lack of sleep.

Ramadan is more than just a period of fasting; it’s a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. We learn to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively, and we strive to remain calm amidst the emotional storms. The fasting experience can be taxing and may sometimes leave us feeling drained and exhausted. However, by nurturing our inner resilience, we can navigate through these challenges with grace and maintain our energy levels throughout the month.

Here is what I practice to keep my energy level up during Ramadan:

1. Mindful Eating During Suhoor and Iftar:
   Starting the day with a nourishing suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and breaking the fast with a balanced iftar (evening meal) are essential. I focus on incorporating a variety of nutritious foods, including whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, to sustain my energy levels.

2. Staying Hydrated:
   Dehydration can amplify feelings of fatigue and irritability. I make it a priority to drink plenty of water and hydrating beverages between iftar and suhoor to ensure my body remains well-hydrated.

3. Prioritizing Rest and Sleep:
   The altered sleep schedule during Ramadan can be challenging. I ensure I get enough rest by taking short naps during the day and maintaining a consistent sleep routine at night.

4. Engaging in Light Physical Activity:
   Incorporating gentle exercises, such as stretching, yoga, or a short walk, helps to boost my energy levels and improve overall well-being.

5. Connecting with the Community:
   Ramadan is a time when families and friends come together, mosques overflow with worshippers, and sharing the best meals with loved ones is a must. To keep that spirit alive, here is a practical art therapy prompt that can engage the whole family or friends and highlight the beautiful qualities each person possesses:

   Gather a large sheet of paper, some crayons, and colored pencils, and let your inner child lead the way. As a family during your Ramadan gathering, draw together on the sheet of paper a big ship that symbolizes your family or friends and add a few masts. Then, cut square pieces of colored or plain paper in the shape of sails, writing each person’s name on the back of each sail. Mix the sails and redistribute them randomly among the family members. Next, ask everyone to write a good trait or a beautiful quality about the family member whose name is on the sail. This trait should represent the strength that helps the family ship sail through storms and hardships. Encourage them to express these traits using symbols, words, or doodles. After 15 minutes, invite everyone to share what they wrote or sketched and then glue the sails onto the big ship’s mast.

This activity not only fosters creativity and bonding but also reinforces the qualities that make each family member special and resilient. Through this collective art exercise, the family ship becomes a symbol of unity and strength, sailing smoothly through the journey of Ramadan.