Words of advice to avoid hunger and stress during fasting

Psychosocial support is important in our life in general and in the holy month of Ramadan in particular because during this month people who are addicted to smoking or caffeine, or epicures may be in a bad and unbalanced mood and they become nervous and stressed due to fasting. So the presence of positive and optimistic psychological supporter will modify their behavior and make them see things in a better way.

This is what Coach Wala’a Lahlah, who is specialized in psychological support said during an interview with Syria Time e-newspaper.

“A psychosocial supporter provides guidance, advice, and positive words to the person who suffers from  psychological problem. These words, advice, and instructions must  commensurate with the person’s psychological condition, she clarified, pointing out that one of the family’s members, or a friend, or a neighbor,  or a specialist in this field could offer psychological support to those who are in need for it..

The coach went on to say: “For example, we advise people who feel hungry during fasting to eat high-protein and high-fiber foods because it gives them energy for longer times  since they take longer to be digested and absorbed in the body.  While too much sugar and other simple carbs, such as white bread, will cause your blood sugar to spike, and then you’ll crash and feel hungrier.”

She believes that activities during Ramadan such as family visits and prayers and reading books can help keep an individual occupied and assist him or her in quitting smoking if he /she wants to do that.

“Generally speaking, psychosocial support could be offered to all age groups:  children, adolescents and elderly to control their stress and it has direct positive effects on them in some cases……Lending a helping hand and offering financial assistance, ensuring job opportunity,  providing information that an individual may be in dire need or providing direct behavioral support in an actual and real way, helping the person immediately and giving appropriate solutions and instructions to the person who suffers from pressures will have direct positive effect on him/ her,” Mrs. Lahlah added.

She indicated that the period of offering support is determined according to the person’s condition and the psychological pressures and life problems he/ she suffers from.

“The people who suffer from bad mood or stress because of hunger and thirst need advice and instructions for a short time. However, the people who are addicted to caffeine or smoking need a longer period of psychological support and more advice. They may need psychological support throughout the month of Ramadan on a daily and consecutive basis through successive steps and multiple methods,” the coach stated.

She concluded by saying that simplifying matters and dealing with them in an optimistic way as well as staying away from negative things and reading books are among the best ways that help reduce stress not only in Ramadan month but also in our life.

Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour