Ramadan is now 21 days away, and we are still hard at work mentally preparing ourselves for the big month! It is no easy feat, but we will never falter, for we want to put the mere 30-day long month to optimum use. In addition to our article on tips on how to physically prepare ourselves for the arrival of the holy month, here are more tips and tricks on how to ensure mental preparedness.
Planning is essential when it comes to mentally preparing yourself. Plan when to wake up for suhoor, plan when to sleep afterwards and when to wake up for work/school in the morning. Make a schedule and keep track- Slowly work your way towards a healthy sleep cycle so that when Ramadan arrives, you will be prepared. We totally recommend using the bullet journaling method to keep track of your plans.
You should also plan the nutrients that you should take in to keep a healthy body and to ensure optimum performance during fasting days.
As we all know, fasting is not just limited to restraining yourself from eating, but it is also preventing from bad habits, e.g. Losing temper, backbiting, etc. In the 21 days we have left, slowly work towards a better attitude- a better you. This way you won’t find it difficult to do so when Ramadan arrives.
One of the values Islam teaches us is to not waste. You can start by not wasting the food and the drink you buy or scoop into your plate, but one way to look at this is to not waste the miraculousness of the holy month.
With this said, people have always ‘wasted’ maybe the first half of Ramadan, for this is how long it usually takes for it to ‘kick in’. This results in the wasting of all the goodness the month has to offer in terms of our spiritual activities. We need to prepare mentally for the arrival of the month before the month itself comes, which is why we have to work at it before Ramadan comes.