Mommy-ing in Ramadan: Self-Care Edition
Ramadan is around the corner and the average Muslim household is already preparing to fast and earn bountiful rewards for fulfilling this obligation.
Most of the preparation is related to meal prepping, stocking up on essentials, gifting and setting spiritual goals. We all know that women in the household are typically busier in Ramadan because they are tasked with preparing Suhoor/Iftar for their families; this coupled with their own personal spiritual goals and other daily responsibilities of motherhood and work can put a lot of undue pressure and make a month that is meant to be enjoyed and fulfilling turn into a distressing period for women; especially mothers who have young children to cater to.
Let’s face it, fasting in itself can be exhausting – going without food and water for over 12 hours especially in a hot environment is tasking. Outside of the obvious physical struggles – low energy- there are other struggles most mothers encounter during this period which is why it’s important for us mothers to prioritise self-care to ensure that we are in the best mental state to help us thrive and make the most of Ramadan. This way, we come out of it rejuvenated, revived and full of Iman rather than feeling dejected and drained at the end of Ramadan.
I have put together 3 tips to help with self-care in this month and ensure that Insha Allah it is a truly rewarding month for us.
Plan Ahead and Set Realistic Goals
Yes, Ramadan only comes once in every year and it’s an opportunity for you to earn brownie points for Jannah; so, your instinct is to set as many spiritual goals as possible right? Errrr, not necessarily! What’s the point of setting goals that you realistically can’t achieve? This will only leave you feeling LESS, and draining you mentally – diverting the energy you could be using to achieve something fulfilling to wallowing about the unachievable. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for setting spiritual goals especially in Ramadan; but it’s also important to understand that something HAS to give. So, if your regular weekend schedule is already packed with activities; rather than adding your Ramadan goals to an already packed schedule – let go of something on the schedule and replace it with your specific Ramadan goal; that way, you won’t over burden yourself and you can maintain a relatively similar schedule to what your body is used to and stand a better chance of achieving your goals. And remember, even if you do still drop the ball on what you have set out to do; it’s OK! Remember we plan, and Allah plans, Allah is the best of planners. He has the final say so if it didn’t happen then it wasn’t meant to be – don’t beat yourself up about it :-)
Image:Productive Muslim
Nourish Your Body with the Right Foods
Remember when you were pregnant and craving all sorts of foods that you knew were probably not a good idea to eat? Yup! Then you probably already know that after fasting for long hours, our minds typically play tricks on us and we think it’s a good idea to gulp down a whole bottle of Coke! No mama, step away from the Sugar; it may leave you feeling full of energy for some time right after but in the long run, it’s bad for you! Have a glass of water and some dates instead then pace yourself with eating other nutritious foods. Remember the saying; a healthy body is a healthy mind and you need to keep your mind healthy for you and the littles ones!
Schedule Some ME Time
It seems like a no-brainer but having some time to yourself, away from the kids and any familial obligations can truly be refreshing. This is even more important now with the pandemic which has left most parents working from home with kids and barely having any child-free time with children also being home-schooled. You can spend this time outside of the house at a quiet garden or café if you think it will be difficult for you to get your ‘ZEN’ moment in the house. Spend this time listening to or reading the Quran and reflecting on Allah’s words. Not only does this help you unplug and declutter your mind, it will also help you with your Iman boost for the month and can be tied in to some of your Ramadan goals. You can also have some pre planned activities for
Make Dua
Dua is the surest way to get what we want from Allah and though it seems like the obvious thing to do; sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves and the world that we forget to connect with Allah and make dua to him to help us get through our struggles, daily responsibilities and just generally maintain a good mental and physical health and well-being. Making Dua for yourself is a form of selfcare – as mothers we spend most of our time caring for our family and making dua for our children, spouses and parents that we sometimes forget to make dua’ specifically for ourselves. Make a conscious effort to make intentional dua for yourself, your health, wellbeing – make dua that Allah grants you ease and helps you to achieve everything you set out to do in Ramadan and beyond. May Allah accept it as an act of Ibadah and make this Ramadan more special than the last. Ameen
If you found this article useful, please share with other mothers. For ideas on activities for your kids to engage in during Ramadan so you can have sometime to yourself for resting or achieving some of your spiritual goals; visit our Ramadan & Eid shop here
Allahumma Balighna Ramadan. Ameen
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