Trouble Fasting

masnavi wrote: I am 52 years old and, aside from high blood pressure, I am in fairly good health. But I have a great deal of difficulty fasting. I want to sleep at ten in the morning and cannot think clearly at work. (My job involves using Chinese；sometimes I forget even elementary words and phrases.) What advice does anyone have. I'm afraid I'm just a self-indulgent hypocrite. Someone who enjoys salat and reading the Quran, but who shies at difficulties.

It must be hard fasting in a largely non-muslim society... you probably don't get the 'ramadhan' vibe from others, especially if you live alone. From my experience atleast I have noticed that it helps when you live in an actively muslim community - when everybody else is fasting, praying around you, you have Adhaan on TV, Taraweeh at mosques etc. So perhaps it is the lack of these motivational factors that makes it hard for you. Fret not brother, you are not alone... so many acts of worship in Islam have a 'communal' feel, that if performed in isolation, its not the same...

On the bright side, the more effort we have to make, the more we struggle - if we manage to pull through - our reward is even greater! . So the spiritual solution would be to motivate yourself with the thought of all that extra reward you are getting inshAllah, because of the extra effort you are having to make. Think of it as a Jihad...

And the fact that you realize your own shortcomings, and can identify problems is also a great sign alhamdulilah! Means that the heart, while a bit lazy - is still spiritually alive! Just push yourself along brother, like somebody said - Islam is not like a short sprint... its like a marathon, we have to make sure we cross the finish line, and its often near the end that we feel exhausted and demotivated - but we have to make sure we keep going! :)

Now coming to practical aspect - perhaps you just need to analyze your diet/routine in Ramadhan. One of the reasons people find it hard to concentrate, or think clearly is due to lack of sleep. Have you been missing out on sleep? This happens to many of us during Ramadhan, our sleep suffers.

Also, what you eat for your pre-dawn meal can have an impact on your performance throughout the day. Make sure you are eating the right foods for the pre-dawn breakfast. Oatmeal, fibre, protiens are some of those foods. Since I am not a dietician I shall just post this article on our diet during Ramadhan:

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/worship/fasting-ramadan/the-ramadan-nutrition-and-workout-plan-for-success-by-rehan-jalali-the-protein-shaikh/

and, 6 ways to control our appetite during Ramadhan:

http://www.suhaibwebb.com/personaldvlpt/worship/fasting-ramadan/7-tips-to-control-our-appetites-in-ramadan/

I myself have noticed that when I am getting my daily requirement of sleep & eating well - I am more productive, happier and find ibadah easy. When I am not - I go through the Muslim Blues too...