How to Stay Productive During Ramadan

We know how hard Ramadan can be while you’re at work. But because Ramadan is a month of giving and good deeds, we want you to be as productive and motivated as possible, at all times. In this blog, we’ll give you our top 10 tips for a stress-free, productive Ramadan. But first, let’s start with some numbers to get an overall feel of the prevailing lifestyle in the MENA region.

What our research tells us…

It’s all about balancing your eating habits While 31.7% of professionals in MENA would describe their eating habits as unhealthy (according to the Bayt.com ‘MENA Professionals’ Health and Eating Habits’ poll, April 2012), Ramadan could be the perfect time for you to balance your eating habits. How? By drinking plenty of water and eating smaller, but more frequent portions.

Exercising during Ramadan Thanks to the Bayt.com ‘MENA Professionals’ Health and Eating Habits’ poll we found out that 80% of MENA professionals are able to squeeze some exercise time into their busy schedules. Are you one of them? If so, keep on moving! Exercising during Ramadan will help you stay fit and happy.

Keeping the remote control away According to the Bayt.com ‘Rest and Recreation Habits Among MENA Professionals’ poll (January 2013), watching television is a common pastime, with eight out of 10 (78.3%) people in MENA watching between one to four hours of TV a day. Ramadan is a month of giving and good deeds. Therefore, instead of spending hours staring at that flat screen in front of you, do something to benefit the world around you. Volunteering with orphans or even spending more time with your family are only few examples of time well-spent.

Avoiding online distractions at work Online distractions at work are a bane to productivity. According to the Bayt.com ‘Rest and Recreation Habits Among MENA Professionals’ poll, 30.7% of polled respondents say that they spend more than five hours a day surfing the internet just for fun. Five hours represent the totality of the time you’ll be spending daily at work during Ramadan. So be sure Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the entire clique are something you do only on your off-work time, or during your prescribed ‘distraction’ periods.

Here they are, Bayt.com’s top ten tips for a stress-free, productive Ramadan:

1. Have sincere intentions and work hard for a productive month.
2. Plan each day of Ramadan the night before. Choose three important tasks you want to achieve the next day and record them in your to-do list.
3. Start working on your most important tasks and get at least one or two done before noon.
4. Don’t waste those two hours between Iftar and Taraweeh in front of the TV. Instead, use them for quiet reading, e-mailing, or any productive activity.
5. Keep a list of goals for the week. When you set yourself goals, you'll be geared towards maintaining them regardless of how hungry you are.
6. At times when you feel particularly hungry or worn out, do routine tasks that don’t require much thinking, e.g. administrative tasks, cleaning, typing up information, tidying up your desk, etc.
7. Try to be disciplined about your eating and sleeping habits when you are not fasting. Don’t stay up late at night gorging yourself and watching TV.
8. Your employer has a right on you–staying up all night and then falling asleep on the job the next day would violate these rights.
9. Hydrate well during the night and at Suhour and after Iftar so that you do not get dehydrated on the job. Severe dehydration can lead to people passing out on the job.
10. Ask your employer if you can schedule more charitable work for your company during Ramadan. Many companies allow employees a certain number of paid hours during which they can volunteer to help out their community. Schedule yours during Ramadan for extra blessings.

With Ramadan just around the corner, most professionals will be rejoicing the advent of shorter workdays and a relaxed atmosphere at work. However, if you want to make sure none of your workdays during Ramadan are ‘taskless’ or unproductive, follow these tips to help you stay motivated and productive at all times.