Ramadan is a much needed hard reset to our routines and it can have both a positive and negative impact once the month is over. There are those of us that get back into a healthy routine, wake up early, and eat healthier. There are also those of us that bring the habit of sleeping in with us into the month of Shawal and that have a detrimental effect on our health and productivity.
Here are a few ways you can take the good with you and leave behind the bad after Ramadan.
Wake up early
Ramadan gets us accustomed to a very impractical routine of staying up till 4 in the morning and then sleeping during the day. For those of us that go to work or school, this means running on 2-3 hours of sleep for a month straight. And for the most part, it is because we are not doing it right.
Waking up early and going to bed relatively early is a great way to get back into the swing. This will be difficult for a week or two but as you build the habit you’ll realize how well your body responds to waking up naturally as opposed to sleeping in and oversleeping. Waking up early has the added benefit of giving you more hours in the day time to conquer all your priorities and this is crucial to productivity. Numerous studies show how average productivity slumps past 1 pm taking as many priorities off your list before 1 PM is the goal.
Meal Prep
Ramadan puts us right on track to this. Most of us plan what we will eat Iftar and Suhr. This is because planning at the last minute when you are hungry puts you in a weird place where you think ordering fast food for the third time in a week is a good idea. We should not only plan our meals during Ramadan, but we should also plan our everyday meals to save time and avoid over-spending on unhealthy food options. If you are not one to cook, meal planning can be very useful for you as well because it gives you the advantage of knowing where to order your meals and allows you to properly research the quality and nutritional value of what you are ordering.
If you are someone who loves Traditional food but want healthy alternatives, we recommend trying out Tradishes. The app links you to Home Kitchen in your vicinity and you can browse form a variety of Traditional Home-cooked meals.
Intermittent Fasting
Fasting isn’t just spiritually beneficial; it has various benefits for your physical health as well. Studies show that intermittent fasting is a great way to lose weight and incorporate healthier eating habits. It is essentially a way to curb compulsive snacking and what is a better time to get started on that then right after Ramadan. The best way to start intermittent fasting is by making a habit out of not eating past 5 pm.
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