EP2 - Overcoming Mental Burnout | End Ramadan Strong Challenge

GET NEW POSTS VIA EMAIL GET THIS EPISODE ON iTUNES

Asalamu Alaykum Everyone, Halimah here your Quran lifestyle coach. I pray your all well. Welcome back to episode two of my end Ramadan strong challenge where every night for the last 10 nights of Ramadan, I'm coming on live to share with you quranic reflections and strategies to help you overcome that Ramadan dip some of us might find ourselves still stuck in where our physical and mental energy levels or motivation or productivity may have dwindled so we can really power up and end Ramadan strong IA- to help make Ramadan 2021 your best yet. yesterday we spoke about how to reset our minds- to overcome that fear or guilt over how we have spent Ramadan so far- how to learn to let go of the past and forgive ourselves through that wonderful reset button technique that I shared right?

 

well, today let's talk about burn out because many of us will have found ourselves stuck in that Ramadan dip because we've been working so hard trying to take on and juggle too much that now we are so physically exhausted or mentally fatigued and we don't know how to effectively recharge for the remaining nights of Ramadan.

 

ok, so the first thing we need to realise as we touch on this subject is that the way you feel today is usually a 72 hr after effect how you moved, breathed, slept and ate over the last 72 hrs -how you feel right now is basically an accumulative effect and thats why having good habits and practices in self care on a consistent basis is actually so important.

 

now this idea of self care is not some type of modern day self centred, live a lavish lifestyle  type of notion that unfortunately some Muslims have come to perceive it to be, but its actually something that if we were to take the time to reflect on the Quran we would find much mention of in the there. You know in the Quran Allah swt tell us all the time of the countless ways he takes care of us doesn't he-   how he gives us the night as a source of rest for us, how he gifts us with rain water and lush vegetation for us to nourish our bodies with, how he grants us spouses and children as a source of comfort for us subhanAllah right - so if Allah swt demonstrates to us the various ways he consistently loves and cares for us throughout the Quran why  is it that we do not make some conscious efforts to carve out the time and develop  practices of self care towards ourselves?

---

 

today i want to share with you 1 key idea for better self care that we can practice starting in these last 10 nights of ramadan that can greatly serve us but before i do i want to quickly address a question some of you might be thinking right now- is the last 10 nights really the time for self care- should we not be exhausting ourselves in worship to make the most of thee blessed nights? well to demonstrate just how relevant and important this concept of self care is to us actually performing at our very best i want to share with you the analogy of a formula one race car competition. now the race cars have the power and ability to continuously complete the laps needed to finish the race right? yet subhanAllah they choose to have regular pit stops to tune it up, taking care of the cars condition, so that it can go longer and faster and essentially better the chances of winning the race. now i share that analogy because like i mentioned in yesterdays live eid the end of ramadan isn't the goal, ramadan is the training ground, the foundation for you t transform into a better version of yourself for the whole year ahead so building those small consistent practices, establishing them as habits in this month for the entire year ahead is the real goal and where the success lies ia. and self care is key to that process.

 

Now the self care tip i want to share with you today is one that i call the  productivity  injection. and this is where you consciously inject, you block small amounts of consistent time throughout your day to recharge and power-up.  you know we cant just hope to continue grinding through our days non stop  just hoping the burn out will wear off and just end somehow there has to be moments when we can tune our minds up, amplify our emotions, reconnect with our hearts - so just like the racing cars we can maintain consistent high performance  to be able to serve Allah at our highest levels. this idea isnt foreign to Islam because Allah swt not only carved out these blocks of time for us like in our yearly calendars through blocking the month of ramadan and the hajj season for us and its so important he implemented this practice for us on a daily basis where Allah blocks for us our 5 salahs for example in our daily life right?

 

You know the biggest study of productivity that was ever carried out relating to the worlds higherst peak performers who reported the highest levels of happiness too  showed that those high performing individuals took small breaks on average every 52 mins- not because they needed it but because they knew through experience that it served them in the long run just like the racing cats. subhanAllah. so if you and i really want to benefit from this knowledge Allah swt has given us through such study id suggest you set an alarm on your phone/smart watch every hour of your waking day where you simple for just a few mins stop whatever your doing stand up and bounce on the spot to really reawaken your body change up your physiology and engage in deep breathing- close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths in and 10 deep breathes out before you continue with your day with whatever your doing with the next hour of your day. we close our eyes because a-lot of our nearolicgal fatigue is actually caused by visual fatigue which ppl dont realise when they take breaks they are on their phones scrolling through whatsapp or social media  their emails and what not not realising this is not resting and recharging your mind at all your only kicking it into overdrive. now this technique of ..productivity injection is something if you practice it regularly you will find will really  benefit you in terms of your productivity ia- its so simple its something you can do in your work cubicle, you can do at home and get your kids involved and when you begin developing this habit starting in these 10 days and nights of ramadan it can ia help serve you in your service to Allah biithnillah.

 

so please remember its not your kids or your work load in your job or what thats causing you burn out- its not really fair to blame them this crash is happening because recharging isn't taking place- its because you have ambition that not met with efficient planning- without prioritising self care. So choose to take care of yourself with productive injection in these 10 days in order to overcome and avoid burn out and to be able to  serve Allah at your highest  levels ia.

 

so go ahead pull out your phones now and set an hourly alarm for your waking hours and as you start implementing this technique drop me a comment below and share with me and all of us here how this has impacted your levels of productivity in your daily life and your ibadah ia id love to hear of your positive experiences- i know this daily practice greatly serves me and others i know who implement it Alhamdullah.

 

ok so thats it for today - tomorrow ill be sharing more techniques to help you overcome that Ramadan dip and help you level up to make the most of ramadan 2021 ia. just remember its never to late to turn things around and to end ramadan strong. until then tc wsalam