Believe it or not, Ramadan is fast approaching! In about two months, we will be in the best time of year. I can’t wait for the days spent reflecting on the miracle of the Quran, being surrounded by loved ones at iftar, and standing up late in the night for taraweh. I get goose bumps just thinking about it!

A good way to prepare for Ramadan is by doing sunnah fasts. Fasting before the big fasts can help prepare you mentally, emotionally and spiritually for Ramadan. If you’re someone who still needs to make up fasts from last year, or you want to engage in the sunnah of fasting, listen up! This post is for you!

Here are four tips to help you get into fasting mode before Ramadan:

1. Use a Calendar

Although I love my outlook and gmail calendars, I also like having a physical calendar. Using a printed calendar (even one you print out from online) is helpful when planning your fasting days. I like to calendar my fasts in advance so I can plan for iftar ahead of time or schedule fewer work meetings. Planning my days around a fast really helps increase my chance of completing it.

2. Sunnah Days

Whether you are trying to do sunnah or make up fasts, it’s nice to double up the rewards and fast on the days that our beloved Prophet Muhammad SWS fasted. The hadith says that he used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, so there are special rewards if we follow in his footsteps and fast those days too. There are also blessed “white days,” (13th, 14th, 15th days of the Islamic lunar calendar) which are also recommended days to fast. Knowing these are specials days gives us more incentive to fast on them. 

3. Fast while working 

Fasting isn’t easy. For some people it’s so much of a challenge that they like to fast only on the weekends. As someone who needs my coffee in the morning, but has grown accustomed to fasting, I think it’s easier to fast during the work day. Why? Because having something to do that eats away at the time is a helpful distraction from any hunger. I encourage you to try fasting during the work week so that you’re not left napping too much during the weekend while fasting.

4. Plan iftars with friends

Another great way to get your fasts in is by fasting with friends and family. You can either get a small crew to agree to fast together virtually for moral support, or you can plan an iftar potluck where everyone fasts and comes together to eat together. Embarking on the sunnah fasts as a community gives you a little taste of Ramadan and serves as a reminder that we are stronger together.