Fasting for Ramadan but can't focus at work.
March 14, 2024 5:57 AM Subscribe
I'm fasting for Ramadan for the first time in many years, and I'm struggling with the work aspect of it. Any advice?
I fasted for Ramadan throughout my childhood and teen years, and as part of a broader return to spirituality as an adult I am now fasting again.
For people not familiar, fasting for Ramadan involves fasting (ie no water or food) over the daylight hours only. You can eat again at sunset.
Luckily, I am not struggling with hunger or thirst, as the days are relatively short. But I AM finding it very difficult to be productive at work.
Firstly I find my sleep hopelessly disrupted by getting up at c. 4am to eat prior to commencing the fast. I find it very hard to go back to sleep after eating, will toss and turn till 6 and then sleep for an hour or so before it's time to get up for work. As sunrise is around 4.45am, I need to be done with eating and drinking before that.
I also find my motivation is completely nonexistent. It took me an entire day to draft an email yesterday. I have a busy job and a lot on my plate. But I find it very hard to focus and, frankly, care about work! I find it much harder than usual to tune out all the day to day distractions of being in the office. And, while as I said before I'm not feeling particularly hungry or thirsty, not being able to break off for a cup of tea or to refill my water bottle makes the day feel even longer and more boring.
I haven't asked for accommodations at work because I'm not sure what would help.
Any tips for how to be productive while fasting?
I fasted for Ramadan throughout my childhood and teen years, and as part of a broader return to spirituality as an adult I am now fasting again.
For people not familiar, fasting for Ramadan involves fasting (ie no water or food) over the daylight hours only. You can eat again at sunset.
Luckily, I am not struggling with hunger or thirst, as the days are relatively short. But I AM finding it very difficult to be productive at work.
Firstly I find my sleep hopelessly disrupted by getting up at c. 4am to eat prior to commencing the fast. I find it very hard to go back to sleep after eating, will toss and turn till 6 and then sleep for an hour or so before it's time to get up for work. As sunrise is around 4.45am, I need to be done with eating and drinking before that.
I also find my motivation is completely nonexistent. It took me an entire day to draft an email yesterday. I have a busy job and a lot on my plate. But I find it very hard to focus and, frankly, care about work! I find it much harder than usual to tune out all the day to day distractions of being in the office. And, while as I said before I'm not feeling particularly hungry or thirsty, not being able to break off for a cup of tea or to refill my water bottle makes the day feel even longer and more boring.
I haven't asked for accommodations at work because I'm not sure what would help.
Any tips for how to be productive while fasting?
Can you take a brisk walk outside when you'd normally get tea or refill your water bottle? Or at least walk a bit around the building? It will help perk you up and give your mind a change of pace, which might help you feel more alert when you return to your desk.
posted by ananci at 6:19 AM on March 14 [7 favorites]
posted by ananci at 6:19 AM on March 14 [7 favorites]
Response by poster: I believe you are allowed to snack on dates and such during Ramadan.
No I'm afraid you can't snack while fasting! No water and no food during daylight hours.
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:19 AM on March 14 [8 favorites]
No I'm afraid you can't snack while fasting! No water and no food during daylight hours.
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:19 AM on March 14 [8 favorites]
Response by poster: Sorry, I said sunrise and sunset to simplify. I guess the correct word would be dawn. The early morning call to prayer (Fajr) was around 4.37am today. Fasting begins after the Fajr call to prayer.
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:33 AM on March 14 [2 favorites]
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:33 AM on March 14 [2 favorites]
I would advise against trying to go back to sleep in the morning. Just get up in time to eat before sunrise (or nautical dawn or whatever) and then start your day. This will probably also make it easier to eat a big meal at sunset then go to sleep.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:43 AM on March 14 [3 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:43 AM on March 14 [3 favorites]
Seconding that it will help if you go to bed earlier or take a brief nap during the day. It’s hard to sleep after the morning meal and call to prayer because you have then been up and doing stuff that you would normally do in the morning but earlier than usual.
Is there any way you can adjust your work hours so that you start work shortly after the call to prayer? If you are able to finish work early or take a longer than normal lunch break (without lunch obviously) it will give you some time to lie down and help your body rest. This is especially important since you can’t eat again until the evening and in order to get enough rest to be up by 4 you need to get to sleep very early, preferably shortly after you finish your evening meal.
posted by donut_princess at 6:44 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
Is there any way you can adjust your work hours so that you start work shortly after the call to prayer? If you are able to finish work early or take a longer than normal lunch break (without lunch obviously) it will give you some time to lie down and help your body rest. This is especially important since you can’t eat again until the evening and in order to get enough rest to be up by 4 you need to get to sleep very early, preferably shortly after you finish your evening meal.
posted by donut_princess at 6:44 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
Mod note: Folks, if you are unaware of how Ramadan works, please avoid posting a comment about how you think it works, thank you. Several comments removed, responses left up for context.
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:46 AM on March 14 [63 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 6:46 AM on March 14 [63 favorites]
If you can drink coffee or caffeinated tea with your morning meal, you might try increasing your morning intake—it will help you focus at work and suppress your appetite.
posted by telegraph at 6:53 AM on March 14
posted by telegraph at 6:53 AM on March 14
Best answer: I think, maybe, the idea is to lean into lack of sleep and hunger and experience it in a spiritual way. Lightheadedness is a one of the aspects of fasting. Theoretically it will pass after awhile and become a sharp focus, which physiologically is supposed to give you a better shot at finding food or water when the lack of them is urgent. Both lightheadedness and starvation focus are spiritual experiences.
So instead of powering through and trying to pretend you're not fasting, paying attention to what your body is doing and what it is capable of and changing the rhythm of your work to attune to your state is the way to handle things. Of course, your job may very much not allow for this.
Working while fasting is a very similar process to working while sick or in an emotional crisis, when the work is critical, such as keeping children and elders and livestock alive. You can't stop working but you learn to tunnel vision on what has to be done first and do a version of it that will satisfice. If you have to feed the kids while you have a fever of 102* and just found yourself lying on the kitchen floor with no idea how you got there, you cut corners, such as handing them bread instead of making sandwiches, or you cook food and then putting the pot in the fridge until it's cold and let everyone eat cold food out of the pot. You strip the job down to the absolute essentials. Food was provided. Don't even think about the dishes. The toilet is still flushing. Don't even think about about cleaning anything but a mucky toilet seat. The kids were sat in a bath for twenty minutes. Shampoo and soap were only involved if the kids took that much initiative.
There is, of course, a significant limit to how much you can strip down the public work you are doing to bare essentials when your lightheadedness makes you incapable of faking normal. But you still are expected to keep your old standards and your blurry brain from leaving you paralyzed because you can't do that. It is very likely you won't be able to write your usual marketing speak, detailed, upbeat, prosocial e-mails, but you can write the bare bones. "The meeting is at five. Martha and Varna will not attend," and you can throw a sop to their expectations by cut and pasting a paragraph of the right kind of positive speak from an older e-mail."I'm so enthusiastic to hear what all of you... etc." Either way the e-mail has to go out or you will be in trouble for not announcing the meeting.
The first thing you have to do is figure out what you need to do to keep your job, and find a way that you do that absolute minimum. Then, depending on your job norms, you have to figure out what you need to do to avoid your coworkers getting fired because they couldn't do their jobs. Some jobs you just throw them under the bus. You'll know if that's the culture at your job.
Often you can stagger through really simple stuff, such as deleting junk e-mails and the more rote parts of your job. You do that, while watching for your ability to work to come back, as it will come in waves, blurriness where you can't even safely delete junk e-mails because your reading comprehension is that bad, times when you can do a bit more, and hopefully at least a couple of times a day, times when you can muster the brain to do something important and comparatively difficult. You save the critical stuff for when you are more functional and you chip away at it until the lucidity is there to finish it to a standard that is functional.
Try running on the spot to increase blood flow to the brain, going into emergency mode, or splashing your face with cold water to try to trigger a moment of lucidity. The cold water thing doesn't last long. You might want to bring ice to your desk, rather than going to the washroom down the hall.
Watch for being hangry and turn it in productive directions. Don't let being hangry make you resentful that you have to fast, or resentful that you have to work while fasting. That aggressive edge can be turned to keeping things going.
Use lucid times to be super organized and figure out ways to cope when you are essentially non functional. This is when you doing things like find those short bits to cut and paste into your e-mails that will make your coworkers comfortable and reassured. Use timers and reminders to make sure you do the critical time sensitive stuff. Prioritize your check lists. What must be done first so other things can be done and what must be done even if nothing else is done. Turning the heat off under the pot on the stove is more important than feeding the cats. If they don't get to eat until afternoon they won't die, but if you set the kitchen on fire they might.
And again, fasting is a spiritual thing, so try to lean into it, if only because you will suffer less if you feel your understanding of why you are doing it and find a way to make it worthwhile. It's one thing to understand rationally why you are doing it. It's another to feel the rightness of it, in the altered state.
Try micro napping. Since nothing prohibits sleep, when you get your ten minute break, put your head down and close your eyes. Even if you can't sleep, that will take some of the neurological load off your brain and make it more likely to have lucid periods. When you are home, even if you don't think you can sleep, lie down and breathe like you are sleeping for at least twenty minutes. This will probably help, even it it doesn't feel like it does at the time, because you are more likely to have those lucid moments.
If your home or place of work is centrally heated and dry, use a humidifier. It will alleviate some of the discomfort of not drinking.
Also try prayer, thanking God for the privilege to fast, and the opportunity to learn from it.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about Islamic spiritual practices, but I have fasted. I have never fasted when I had to be responsible for anything but myself.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:23 AM on March 14 [12 favorites]
So instead of powering through and trying to pretend you're not fasting, paying attention to what your body is doing and what it is capable of and changing the rhythm of your work to attune to your state is the way to handle things. Of course, your job may very much not allow for this.
Working while fasting is a very similar process to working while sick or in an emotional crisis, when the work is critical, such as keeping children and elders and livestock alive. You can't stop working but you learn to tunnel vision on what has to be done first and do a version of it that will satisfice. If you have to feed the kids while you have a fever of 102* and just found yourself lying on the kitchen floor with no idea how you got there, you cut corners, such as handing them bread instead of making sandwiches, or you cook food and then putting the pot in the fridge until it's cold and let everyone eat cold food out of the pot. You strip the job down to the absolute essentials. Food was provided. Don't even think about the dishes. The toilet is still flushing. Don't even think about about cleaning anything but a mucky toilet seat. The kids were sat in a bath for twenty minutes. Shampoo and soap were only involved if the kids took that much initiative.
There is, of course, a significant limit to how much you can strip down the public work you are doing to bare essentials when your lightheadedness makes you incapable of faking normal. But you still are expected to keep your old standards and your blurry brain from leaving you paralyzed because you can't do that. It is very likely you won't be able to write your usual marketing speak, detailed, upbeat, prosocial e-mails, but you can write the bare bones. "The meeting is at five. Martha and Varna will not attend," and you can throw a sop to their expectations by cut and pasting a paragraph of the right kind of positive speak from an older e-mail."I'm so enthusiastic to hear what all of you... etc." Either way the e-mail has to go out or you will be in trouble for not announcing the meeting.
The first thing you have to do is figure out what you need to do to keep your job, and find a way that you do that absolute minimum. Then, depending on your job norms, you have to figure out what you need to do to avoid your coworkers getting fired because they couldn't do their jobs. Some jobs you just throw them under the bus. You'll know if that's the culture at your job.
Often you can stagger through really simple stuff, such as deleting junk e-mails and the more rote parts of your job. You do that, while watching for your ability to work to come back, as it will come in waves, blurriness where you can't even safely delete junk e-mails because your reading comprehension is that bad, times when you can do a bit more, and hopefully at least a couple of times a day, times when you can muster the brain to do something important and comparatively difficult. You save the critical stuff for when you are more functional and you chip away at it until the lucidity is there to finish it to a standard that is functional.
Try running on the spot to increase blood flow to the brain, going into emergency mode, or splashing your face with cold water to try to trigger a moment of lucidity. The cold water thing doesn't last long. You might want to bring ice to your desk, rather than going to the washroom down the hall.
Watch for being hangry and turn it in productive directions. Don't let being hangry make you resentful that you have to fast, or resentful that you have to work while fasting. That aggressive edge can be turned to keeping things going.
Use lucid times to be super organized and figure out ways to cope when you are essentially non functional. This is when you doing things like find those short bits to cut and paste into your e-mails that will make your coworkers comfortable and reassured. Use timers and reminders to make sure you do the critical time sensitive stuff. Prioritize your check lists. What must be done first so other things can be done and what must be done even if nothing else is done. Turning the heat off under the pot on the stove is more important than feeding the cats. If they don't get to eat until afternoon they won't die, but if you set the kitchen on fire they might.
And again, fasting is a spiritual thing, so try to lean into it, if only because you will suffer less if you feel your understanding of why you are doing it and find a way to make it worthwhile. It's one thing to understand rationally why you are doing it. It's another to feel the rightness of it, in the altered state.
Try micro napping. Since nothing prohibits sleep, when you get your ten minute break, put your head down and close your eyes. Even if you can't sleep, that will take some of the neurological load off your brain and make it more likely to have lucid periods. When you are home, even if you don't think you can sleep, lie down and breathe like you are sleeping for at least twenty minutes. This will probably help, even it it doesn't feel like it does at the time, because you are more likely to have those lucid moments.
If your home or place of work is centrally heated and dry, use a humidifier. It will alleviate some of the discomfort of not drinking.
Also try prayer, thanking God for the privilege to fast, and the opportunity to learn from it.
Disclaimer: I know nothing about Islamic spiritual practices, but I have fasted. I have never fasted when I had to be responsible for anything but myself.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:23 AM on March 14 [12 favorites]
If it's a possibility you might consider a ketogenic diet. Many people report enhanced mental focus after the initial adjustment phase. If you start now you'll be over the keto flu by Monday or Tuesday. I'm not sure this will work combined with long periods without hydration, but it's something to look into.
posted by Depressed Obese Nightmare Man at 7:44 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
posted by Depressed Obese Nightmare Man at 7:44 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Best answer: What are you eating in the morning before you start fasting? My parents would say go for something heavy with lots of fat, protein and carbs. You may feel overfull but it will give you more energy later on. It's the same with water--drink a bit more in the morning than you think you need, and then after you've broken the fast keep drinking plenty of water during the hours of darkness. You may not feel thirsty but it could be affecting you in ways you don't realise.
posted by guessthis at 8:02 AM on March 14
posted by guessthis at 8:02 AM on March 14
Best answer: Along with going basically all-in on protein for breakfast, I would recommend you take a Magnesium-Calcium-Zinc supplement with breakfast and wash it down with electrolyte drink. Magnesium is (among many other things) critical to concentration (the Cal-Zinc is mostly to make the Mg more bioavailable).
You are certainly tired from the disruption to your sleep schedule. Maybe try a meditation or sleep sound app to at least lay back down and do relaxation. Possibly ask to come in an hour later so you can get a solid couple hours' sleep after you eat?
I went looking for the usual video I use for "office stretches", but stumbled upon these "brain activation" exercises that I'll be trying myself today - see if they help your brain get in gear and boost your focus.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:05 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
You are certainly tired from the disruption to your sleep schedule. Maybe try a meditation or sleep sound app to at least lay back down and do relaxation. Possibly ask to come in an hour later so you can get a solid couple hours' sleep after you eat?
I went looking for the usual video I use for "office stretches", but stumbled upon these "brain activation" exercises that I'll be trying myself today - see if they help your brain get in gear and boost your focus.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:05 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Do you have friends you can break the fast with? It is easier to do with other people, even if it means eating together over zoom.
My kid is fasting for the first time but lucked out as he mostly works nights. If it’s possible for you to do WFH after sundown for the mental work at home, maybe a daytime nap? Ask if you can leave early to WFH so you can sleep in the afternoon and then do reports/emails in the evening.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:08 AM on March 14
My kid is fasting for the first time but lucked out as he mostly works nights. If it’s possible for you to do WFH after sundown for the mental work at home, maybe a daytime nap? Ask if you can leave early to WFH so you can sleep in the afternoon and then do reports/emails in the evening.
posted by dorothyisunderwood at 8:08 AM on March 14
Best answer: I'm at the point in life where if my sleep is disturbed in significant ways I'm very thrown off the following day and there's no way around it, so I just want to validate that. In general I think Jane the Brown has it. Prioritize and streamline as much as possible and when you can't work, and when you can't be productive, welcome that internally and try to lean into what's being stripped away.
The one thing I might do is make my boss and/or people I work closely with aware that I was fasting- this is not exactly requesting accommodations but it might help with expectation setting or providing context for why you might be performing a little differently over the next few weeks.
posted by wormtales at 8:12 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
The one thing I might do is make my boss and/or people I work closely with aware that I was fasting- this is not exactly requesting accommodations but it might help with expectation setting or providing context for why you might be performing a little differently over the next few weeks.
posted by wormtales at 8:12 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Would it be possible to go to sleep earlier?
It looks like sunset is around 6pm in London. If you could go to sleep at around 8:30pm, you could rise at 4am and still get 7 1/2 hours of sleep. You could use those early morning hours to do things you might otherwise do in the evening. I also personally find the early morning hours quite meditative, which could be a boon since you probably aren't much able to focus on your spirituality during work hours.
I just don't think that you should count those hours after your morning meal as "sleep," since they're at best very poor sleep. Which means that if you're going to bed at your usual time, you're not getting nearly enough sleep to sustain you. Tbh, I know everyone is different, but I personally am not much mentally affected by fasting itself, but sleep deprivation absolutely wrecks my focus and motivation.
As for breaks, I think a walk is the second-best thing after coffee or tea. If that's not possible because of weather or location or whatever, I think you should still take breaks. You might try structuring your day more by taking them at set intervals, and deciding that the interval between two breaks is for a specific task (like that email). That can help compensate a little bit for the BLAH.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 8:15 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
It looks like sunset is around 6pm in London. If you could go to sleep at around 8:30pm, you could rise at 4am and still get 7 1/2 hours of sleep. You could use those early morning hours to do things you might otherwise do in the evening. I also personally find the early morning hours quite meditative, which could be a boon since you probably aren't much able to focus on your spirituality during work hours.
I just don't think that you should count those hours after your morning meal as "sleep," since they're at best very poor sleep. Which means that if you're going to bed at your usual time, you're not getting nearly enough sleep to sustain you. Tbh, I know everyone is different, but I personally am not much mentally affected by fasting itself, but sleep deprivation absolutely wrecks my focus and motivation.
As for breaks, I think a walk is the second-best thing after coffee or tea. If that's not possible because of weather or location or whatever, I think you should still take breaks. You might try structuring your day more by taking them at set intervals, and deciding that the interval between two breaks is for a specific task (like that email). That can help compensate a little bit for the BLAH.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 8:15 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Eat more fat and protein when you do eat, plus more complex carbs that take longer to fully digest, so you feel satiated for longer. Hydrating as much as you can stand is also likely to help even if you don’t have trouble with thirst during the day.
I think the suggestion above to ask if you can adjust your work hours as accommodation is a good one - a shift to early morning work with perhaps a rest period in the middle, followed by a short afternoon push right before sunset might make sense, depending on your responsibilities. If sleeping during that rest period wouldn’t work, perhaps use it for spiritual contemplation and meditation.
Breaking up a day into more discrete scheduled chunks can really help with focus over all - look at schools with their shorter classes and subject changes. Try creating work subjects that you give yourself prescheduled blocks to concentrate on and shift to, with little breaks in between. Spend time outside if you can during those little breaks. Instead of getting a snack or drink on breaks you could go outside and doodle in a sketchbook, or listen to a few songs, or do some breathing exercises.
posted by Mizu at 8:24 AM on March 14
I think the suggestion above to ask if you can adjust your work hours as accommodation is a good one - a shift to early morning work with perhaps a rest period in the middle, followed by a short afternoon push right before sunset might make sense, depending on your responsibilities. If sleeping during that rest period wouldn’t work, perhaps use it for spiritual contemplation and meditation.
Breaking up a day into more discrete scheduled chunks can really help with focus over all - look at schools with their shorter classes and subject changes. Try creating work subjects that you give yourself prescheduled blocks to concentrate on and shift to, with little breaks in between. Spend time outside if you can during those little breaks. Instead of getting a snack or drink on breaks you could go outside and doodle in a sketchbook, or listen to a few songs, or do some breathing exercises.
posted by Mizu at 8:24 AM on March 14
Best answer: It’ll get easier to work as the days go on. The first few days are the worst. For your meal before dawn, make it as easy as possible and make sure you’re drinking enough liquid (like if the food is fine stored at room temp, leave it by your bed, otherwise put it all in a bowl, cover it, and stick a spoon on top and stick it all in the fridge so it’s easy to reheat when you wake up). Drink throughout the evening and night. I used to fast for Ramadan, mostly in solidarity with family. I didn’t ask for work accommodations but I did tell a couple of people so that someone would know why I wasn’t at the birthday celebration or getting lunch with everyone etc. I still took breaks during the day, I just didn’t eat during them. And I accepted that the first couple of days I wouldn’t be super productive.
posted by loulou718 at 8:28 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
posted by loulou718 at 8:28 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
When I was part of a religious community that fasted, some things people did were:
1) try to eat low-glycemic foods for the pre-fast meal (longer/steadier energy vs fast energy)
2) extended release caffeine pills
I’m not sure if the latter are commonly available outside Orthodox Jewish specialty situations or if that would be counter to the intention of fasting in your case. Going to bed earlier seems like a wiser choice if your body will let you do that.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:29 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
1) try to eat low-glycemic foods for the pre-fast meal (longer/steadier energy vs fast energy)
2) extended release caffeine pills
I’m not sure if the latter are commonly available outside Orthodox Jewish specialty situations or if that would be counter to the intention of fasting in your case. Going to bed earlier seems like a wiser choice if your body will let you do that.
posted by needs more cowbell at 8:29 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
Have ginseng or ginko? I find that really helps for mental clarity. You’d have to take in the early hour so it might impact sleep though.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:35 AM on March 14
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:35 AM on March 14
Best answer: There are a ton of strategies for helping focus in difficult situations, you may not have needed them before depending on your brain chemistry but it's never too late to start.
I'm a big fan of timers, whether that's structured like a pomodoro or just a 5 minute focus timer. Make your to-do list for tomorrow at the end of the previous day, and make it hyper-specific (like "1) research email from Doug, 2) write response to email from Doug, 3) proofread"). The next morning stretch, sit down, and set a 5, 10, or 20 minute timer. Start at the top of the list and focus on just that task. If your mind wanders then gently remind yourself that you are working on task A for X minutes.
When the timer goes off, stop and set another timer for your rest period. Rest period should involve stepping away from your focused work. Get some fresh air and sunshine, chat with coworkers, rinse your hands and face in the restroom, etc. Then repeat.
When you are sleep deprived or going through other seasons of change, you might need more rest breaks and less focused time, that's natural. I also like the timers to nudge me to actually finish something and not dither around all day. If I've spent 10 full minutes proofreading I can just hit send, you know?
I agree with other answers to adjust your sleep schedule. I think it's clear that right now you can't fall asleep from your morning meal till about 600am, which makes sense as it's about 60-90 minutes after you eat. So plan around that - maybe you can start work earlier and end earlier, then sleep from about 8pm to 4am. Or you can plan to nap from 600-8am and then start work a bit later?
posted by muddgirl at 10:17 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
I'm a big fan of timers, whether that's structured like a pomodoro or just a 5 minute focus timer. Make your to-do list for tomorrow at the end of the previous day, and make it hyper-specific (like "1) research email from Doug, 2) write response to email from Doug, 3) proofread"). The next morning stretch, sit down, and set a 5, 10, or 20 minute timer. Start at the top of the list and focus on just that task. If your mind wanders then gently remind yourself that you are working on task A for X minutes.
When the timer goes off, stop and set another timer for your rest period. Rest period should involve stepping away from your focused work. Get some fresh air and sunshine, chat with coworkers, rinse your hands and face in the restroom, etc. Then repeat.
When you are sleep deprived or going through other seasons of change, you might need more rest breaks and less focused time, that's natural. I also like the timers to nudge me to actually finish something and not dither around all day. If I've spent 10 full minutes proofreading I can just hit send, you know?
I agree with other answers to adjust your sleep schedule. I think it's clear that right now you can't fall asleep from your morning meal till about 600am, which makes sense as it's about 60-90 minutes after you eat. So plan around that - maybe you can start work earlier and end earlier, then sleep from about 8pm to 4am. Or you can plan to nap from 600-8am and then start work a bit later?
posted by muddgirl at 10:17 AM on March 14 [1 favorite]
I lived in a predominantly Muslim country during two Ramadans and my employer moved back the end of the work day by an hour during that month. Our work hours decreased by an hour (even for non-Muslims) and didn't start any earlier. It also wasn't the most productive time of year, you know?
If you can, how about accommodations to end your work day an hour or two earlier? I wonder if that change might help you be more motivated during the actual day. I know you have a lot on your plate, but clearly your current schedule isn't helping you get more things done, so you might be able to get a bit more done in less time. Then, you can go home and nap before sunset.
Also, are you praying? Perhaps you already pray. But if you don't, can you structure your workday around your prayers?
posted by bluedaisy at 10:46 AM on March 14 [2 favorites]
If you can, how about accommodations to end your work day an hour or two earlier? I wonder if that change might help you be more motivated during the actual day. I know you have a lot on your plate, but clearly your current schedule isn't helping you get more things done, so you might be able to get a bit more done in less time. Then, you can go home and nap before sunset.
Also, are you praying? Perhaps you already pray. But if you don't, can you structure your workday around your prayers?
posted by bluedaisy at 10:46 AM on March 14 [2 favorites]
Could you request to move your work hours up temporarily? Like 7 am to 3 pm? People already do this to avoid commutes. My friends who fast basically talk to their co-workers while struggling with emails end up defaulting to voice notes or voice-to-text dictation, or doing short phone calls. Hunger can also impact executive dysfunction, so looking into ADHD coping skills for the workplace could help. (Hunger also happens a lot because ADHD/autistic people can forget to eat the entire day and sleep at off hours...)
posted by yueliang at 11:04 AM on March 14
posted by yueliang at 11:04 AM on March 14
Best answer: I think to a degree you have to accept that you won't exactly be at 100% during Ramadan and just take it from there. Also you will get better at it as the month progresses.
I usually try to go back to sleep in the morning although usually it is just lying down with a very small amount of sleep mixed in. The better thing would probably be to just stay up for that hour and then take a nap if needed after work but my work goes late so I can't do that. One thing that works as well as far as sleep is concerned is just not to wake up early in the morning. There's usually a couple of days where I end up doing this if I've had a particularly late night.
Physical activity helps too. I usually ride my bike to work (45 minutes each way) and I keep that up during Ramadan. It gets the blood flowing and means that at least for the first couple of hours I'm alert and productive. Find something where you are active but not sweating too much so that you don't get thirsty. While at work there's nothing wrong with taking a break and going for a brisk 5-10 minute walk.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:17 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
I usually try to go back to sleep in the morning although usually it is just lying down with a very small amount of sleep mixed in. The better thing would probably be to just stay up for that hour and then take a nap if needed after work but my work goes late so I can't do that. One thing that works as well as far as sleep is concerned is just not to wake up early in the morning. There's usually a couple of days where I end up doing this if I've had a particularly late night.
Physical activity helps too. I usually ride my bike to work (45 minutes each way) and I keep that up during Ramadan. It gets the blood flowing and means that at least for the first couple of hours I'm alert and productive. Find something where you are active but not sweating too much so that you don't get thirsty. While at work there's nothing wrong with taking a break and going for a brisk 5-10 minute walk.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:17 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I have fasted in the past, am travelling this week and have not been able to make it work, but it works very similar to how I've found ADHD to work. There's a set of ingredients like energy and clarity that we usually draw from food, but that's not the only way to access them.
The further away you get from the meal, the more hacks you have to build to provide high-intellect deliverables. I think someone's already suggested timing your work items depending on how much intellect it requires. To +1 on BlueDaisy, I have not been particularly consistent with 5x prayer, but it always cements during fast, because for me it helps reset the buildup of noise in the brain. You might need more than those five, and they might not align with the regular prayer times. But that can be helpful too. I have tried to work from home during this time, and schedule an hour offline, 1-2 hours before the last hour of the work day for a nap. I don't always sleep, but even just stepping away from work and lying down can help you feel the hidden support in this practice. Ramadan Mubarak!
posted by SoundInhabitant at 12:49 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
The further away you get from the meal, the more hacks you have to build to provide high-intellect deliverables. I think someone's already suggested timing your work items depending on how much intellect it requires. To +1 on BlueDaisy, I have not been particularly consistent with 5x prayer, but it always cements during fast, because for me it helps reset the buildup of noise in the brain. You might need more than those five, and they might not align with the regular prayer times. But that can be helpful too. I have tried to work from home during this time, and schedule an hour offline, 1-2 hours before the last hour of the work day for a nap. I don't always sleep, but even just stepping away from work and lying down can help you feel the hidden support in this practice. Ramadan Mubarak!
posted by SoundInhabitant at 12:49 PM on March 14 [3 favorites]
I wouldn’t attempt go back to bed right after eating. If you can adjust your work schedule, I’d start work early, and either end early or (even better, if feasible) take a nap mid day.
posted by maleficent at 3:17 PM on March 14
posted by maleficent at 3:17 PM on March 14
In line with some folks’ recommendations on protein/fat breakfasts, I drink a hippie vegan protein shake with a bunch of coconut oil in it every morning - water, scoop of powder, I add cinnamon and turmeric and black pepper for taste, dump in coconut oil, mix with fork, drink.
It looks like pond scum, but takes almost no time to make or ingest, hydrates as well as feeds, and sustains me for a long time. (Too much oil might upset your stomach, but 1 to 2 tablespoons has been ok with my guts.)
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 3:18 PM on March 14
It looks like pond scum, but takes almost no time to make or ingest, hydrates as well as feeds, and sustains me for a long time. (Too much oil might upset your stomach, but 1 to 2 tablespoons has been ok with my guts.)
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 3:18 PM on March 14
Response by poster: Thanks all for the helpful answers. Jane the Brown, you are completely right of course! It's not supposed to be easy!
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:39 AM on March 15 [1 favorite]
posted by unicorn chaser at 6:39 AM on March 15 [1 favorite]
Muslimah here.
High quality electrolytes are critical. I take magnesium glycinate and potassium citrate with suhoor and I make sure to get in enough table salt.
As others have said: decent amounts of protein and fat are super important and they're often neglected in today's typical Ramadan fare, especially in the West.
Are you doing this totally alone, without the support of other Muslims either IRL or online? If so, feel free to DM me. Happy to do check-ins during the day.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 10:59 AM on March 15 [3 favorites]
High quality electrolytes are critical. I take magnesium glycinate and potassium citrate with suhoor and I make sure to get in enough table salt.
As others have said: decent amounts of protein and fat are super important and they're often neglected in today's typical Ramadan fare, especially in the West.
Are you doing this totally alone, without the support of other Muslims either IRL or online? If so, feel free to DM me. Happy to do check-ins during the day.
posted by rabia.elizabeth at 10:59 AM on March 15 [3 favorites]
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posted by madcaptenor at 6:04 AM on March 14 [4 favorites]