Ramzan is just around the corner – right in the dead of summer. It’s going to be a tough month for many people fasting this year as the heat and humidity of the Pakistani summers combines with the increased load shedding to make work a daily challenge. It goes without saying though, that using fasting as a justification for your lack of productivity is just not on.

This isn’t the first summer Ramzan we’ve had, the preceding several holy months have all fallen in and around the hottest days of the year. That means we’ve had time to accumulate some tips and tricks that ACTUALLY work to keep you on top of your tasks and motivated to stay productive. Have a gander:

Hydrate!

Quick, how many glasses of water have you had today? If you’re struggling to get past 2, welcome to the barely-functional-grown-ups club. Admit it, we barely get our necessary fill of life-giving fluid in a normal day – Ramzan’s nothing but a binge during Sehri and Iftari and no water in-between. That’s a recipe for disaster because nothing kills productivity more than thirst. It utterly overwhelms your mind and prevents you from focusing fully on anything.

Can’t remember to drink water during non-fasting hours? Here’s a simple hack: Set up an hourly Google Calendar reminder on your phone (or more, depending on how thirsty you generally feel). This way you’ll get a gentle nudge every hour or so to get a refill – keeping yourself regularly hydrated this way will help you feel less thirsty while fasting during the day and keep your mind on track!

Fix Those Eating Habits

People may be quick to point at Lahoris and their unhealthy eating habits during Ramzan but we feel it’s a nationwide dilemma. We love to go overboard during Sehri and especially at Iftar time and those sessions make their negative impact known when you step on the weighing scale after Eid.

Even if you’re not particularly “health conscious” (why not, though? Everyone should put their health first!), it still stands to reason that food excesses will impact your day as well as your nights. Feeling bloated or gassy at work will cut into your concentration as easily as being dehydrated and the result will be the same – no progress.
Ramzan isn’t the end of the world. Every iftari isn’t your last meal. Pace yourself.

If You Can’t Pace Yourself, Exercise

This is not us condoning unhealthy eating habits but if you insist on testing the limits of your body’s digestion, you might as well hit the gym regularly to keep yourself in shape. Not only that, but exercise is a proven way to center your body and focus you for the rest of your day. Consult with a professional on an exercise regimen that invigorates and refreshes you, even during a fast (trust us, the human body is that resilient!) and follow through on that plan.
Trust us, you’ll find yourself pumped up and tearing through your work deadlines in no time!

Don’t Waste the Time Dear

Before you kill us for digging up that old meme again, consider this: With your attention span already reduced during Ramzan, you need but the tiniest of excuses to switch away from work. Social media is one of those frequent excuses and perhaps one of the biggest time sinks during a Ramzan work day.

Here’s a solution that’s easy to write but tough to implement: Don’t check your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat in the office. Go cold turkey. Not only will this free up your mind to focus on your tasks but it will give you something to look forward to in those wee hours before Iftari when the TV’s torturing you with cooking shows, as is the smell wafting from your own kitchen. Having a day’s worth of social media activity to catch up on at that time will help you get through that time period easily AND keep you on track while you’re in the office!

Everyone’s got their own way to stay focused and productive during Ramzan. These are the tried and tested ways of the ROZEE.PK team, what are yours?

Also Read: Work Through Ramadan Like a Boss!