Ramadan is nearly upon us and I am absolutely looking forward to it. It is a month of abstinence from all the evil that we do in our daily lives intentionally and unintentionally. It is a month, where you fast from dawn to dusk, to realise the plight that people in poverty go through all around the world. There are many people, who starve through the days because they can not find anything to eat. Fasting makes you put yourself in their shoes even if its for a few hours. You not only abstain from food but from the worldly issues too. Gossiping, backbiting, bringing each other down, cursing and everything that might hurt you or the next person.
But with fasts really long this summer, we always tend to get cranky and more agitated with the people and situations around us. Especially being a mother, you get more frustrated with hyper active toddlers and eventually scream and scold them to calm down. In return, they think negative about fasting and the benefits that it brings in. The lack of food and hydration also brings in a headache for the first week, which in turn gets you more tired than usual.
So how do you control your anger and frustration this Ramadan? These are very few simple tips that will help you control it and help you enjoy the essence of Ramadan more.
Pray. Pray as much as you can. That is the beauty of it. Praying makes you forget the anger that has been piling up. You do not always have to sit down on the prayer mat to pray. Just sit on your sofa, and pray silently. Make duaa for yourself and for your family. It instantly releases you of all the stress that has been with you all day.
Prepare everything beforehand. Usually, mothers, what they do is, they start preparing for iftaar on the same day. During the fast. A few hours before you have to open the fast. That adds to your stress even more and you become more agitated. Prepare your food a day before. After opening your previous fast. Relax and think about what you are going to make for the next day and then keep everything in preparation so that you don't have to rush around the next day trying to finish cooking the food before the maghreb Azaan. I have been trying this since last year and I can not tell you how much easier it is for me during the next day.
Take deep breaths. Sometimes, when something angers us, we forget to breath and instantly react on the situation in a negative way. When you know that something is stressing you out, take deep breaths immediately. This sends signals to the brain to relax and to think more carefully and calmly.
Smile. When your child spills juice all over the carpet, smile. Ask them to help you clean up. When you think you are stressing to much and the frustration is building up, smile and think of the good times. Smiling relaxes your body so much that you won't even remember why you were frustrated in the first place.
The true essence of Ramadan is to overcome the demons that shadow us in our daily life. Not only for this one month, but also for the rest of your life too. It gives you practice for the rest of the year. It helps you build your self to a stronger person and not let anger and frustration take the better off you.
How do you overcome the anger during Ramadan? Do you have any tips? Let me know :)
