Things to do during Ramadan

The worst thing about Ramadan is that some people spend their days waiting for Maghreb to break their fast and spend their nights going out and catching up on food they haven’t had throughout the day. Ramadan doesn’t have to be a frustrating time. In fact, if we occupy our minds with good actions, we’ll have a better and more fulfilling time.

Here are some things you can do during Ramadan:

1)      Read & learn: If you have some reading to catch up on, with the Iftar time being so late, you have so much time to do read and learn new things. Commit to at least half an hour to learn more about a field of interest; whether it’d be religion, science or crafting, reading and learning should be on your daily to-do list.

2)      Cook: You always complain about eating out and not having time to cook. What a better time to brush up your cooking skills?! Make sure to plan out ahead your meals and to include fruits and veggies in your Iftar. Planning, shopping and cooking require some time and planning your meals ahead will keep you away from unnecessary food intakes. Also, why not try new recipes? Diversify your food and learn to be a chef in your own kitchen!

3)      Declutter: With so many things getting piled up throughout the year, Ramadan is the perfect time for decluttering your drawers, closet, office space and kitchen. You’ll find you have so many things you don’t need and that can be donated to the needy. Plus you’ll get more free space and you’ll feel better. Your personal computer may also need some software updating, anti-virus installing and folders reorganizing.

4)      Feed the poor: Rather than giving them money, why not prepare a bunch of bags where you’d put milk, dates, bread and some other goodies that you’d distribute in your area for the poor to break their fast? This is a very satisfying action that will not only help them but help you grow as a person as you’ll take the time to shop for them, prepare the bags and distribute them.

5)      Reconnect with nature: Food being one of life’s distractions, enjoy this time of the year to go to the beach or the forest to breath fresh air, hear the ocean waves crash or the birds chirp. Being in touch with nature will make you feel very small and almost insignificant and sometimes we need that kind of feeling not to be too comfortable on earth and amplify our ego.

Other things to do:

6)      Visit family and friends (and it doesn’t have to be always after Iftar)

7)      Workout (good for the health and the soul)

8)      Pray and meditate (be grateful and thankful for what you have and talk to God openly)

9)      Reflect and plan (vacation plans, business plans? What’s your strategy for the upcoming months?)

10)   Back-up your data (Are all your photos, videos, documents safely stored? Or are they in random USB sticks that you can’t find?)

11) Plan your next vacation: Do the necessary research to plan a vacation that's different from all your previous ones
12) Major in a new field: You can have an MBA without leaving your home. Study current business trends, success stories, research and learn how to apply new learnings.

Wishing you a wonderful and spiritual Ramadan wherever you are. Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food, it’s time to reconnect with yourself and work on being a better person.

Ramadan Mubarak to all!!

How about you? What do you do during Ramadan? How does it help you or help the people around you? Please comment and share.