Ways to be productive during Ramadan and lockdown

Productivity is something we have all struggled with. Whether you are a student or an entrepreneur, you know the struggles during Ramadan.

Starting from a messed-up sleep schedule to tired evenings, every day feels like a battle with yourself. So the question is, how can someone stay productive? That too during a global pandemic?

Aubhik Rehman, an aspiring writer and a football enthusiast said, "I work as an editor and that takes a healthy amount of time away from me each day. There is this Facebook group named 'Litmosphere' where I write fictional stories. It is my kind of way to get away from everything.  They call it the 'sehri-tales'. Such small things keep me entertained. Plus, the weekend Man United games work as my getaway." 

Here are some ways to be productive during Ramadan and lockdown:

Planning is everything

We are all victims of procrastination. But there is light at the end of the tunnel – it is called 'planning'. Planning works as a kryptonite in the age-old battle of humankind against laziness.

TashfiKayser runs a bakery shop called 'Treats by Tashfi' from home while pursuing her business degree. She believes planning is vital for people of all ages irrespective of their profession.

"I have to plan out every single order of my customers for multiple weeks straight. I keep note of almost everything I have to do. This allows me to be organised. At the same time, I can keep track of my university assignments and classes. Trust me, I would have never been able to get so many things done each day if I did not plan them beforehand," she explained. 

According to your tasks and commitments, come up with a tentative timeline for your day.

Planning allows you to be much more efficient because that tentative deadline you have in your head will keep pushing you.

Sorting out your sleep schedule

If you are a night owl, you will need to distribute your sleeping hours throughout the span of 24 hours.

Go to sleep right after you are done with sehri.

If you still require sleep, a power nap in the afternoon will get you energised for the rest of the night.

Jahir Sadik Monon, a CSE student at the University of Dhaka believes everyone has their own method of getting enough sleep.

When asked about his sleeping pattern, he said, "To be honest, I cannot really specify my sleep schedule. If I feel I have not had enough sleep, then I take power naps to get myself energised."

He concluded by saying, "I cannot stress enough how important these short power naps are. Even if you take a nap for just an hour, you will start functioning at your maximum capacity."

Practicing healthy habits at home

Rather than looking at the bigger picture, focus on the small things in life.

Drinking eight glasses of water a day or exercising might seem unimportant at first.

But once you get the hang of it, you will start seeing a positive change in yourself.

Tawfique Zaman who plays for the North South University football team said jokingly, "It does not take a rocket scientist to understand that healthy habits are essential for your productivity. In the age of the internet, getting up to speed with at-home exercising techniques is as easy as a cake. I do basic cardio at home to keep myself in shape."

Prioritising your mental health

With everything that is going on in the world, it can be a bit overwhelming to focus on your commitments.

Do not force yourself into being productive. Take one step at a time.

Raisa Sultana is a lecturer at the department of Geography and Environment at the University of Dhaka. She advised, "Staying productive during a pandemic may sound fancy, the reality is quite difficult for some. Not to forget we are going through one of the toughest phases of our life, it is a global pandemic."

She went on, "My advice would be to go with the flow. You can do anything that you love, that you always wanted to do, but did not get enough time previously. You may start from the list of '100 books you must read before you die', or maybe '100 must-watch movies'. You can take a simple course on skill development. Make sure that you are cherishing these; otherwise, it will ruin your mental health and wellbeing eventually."

She summed up by saying, "Definitely we all know the drill by now, thanks to social media, however, you can allow yourself to slow down a little bit during the pandemic, and that is completely okay."

At the end of the day try doing things that you enjoy. Do not let work or academic pressure get to you.

Every individual has a different coping mechanism.

As long as you are at peace with your inner-self, productivity will come naturally to you.