Wednesday 22nd March 2023 marks the start of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and a holy month for Muslims. Typically fasting will take place from sunrise to sunset, with the fast being broken by a night-time meal called Iftar. This year, Ramadan ends on Friday 21st April 2023 with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.

If you are fasting during Ramadan, it can impact on your day-to-day activities, so here are some tips to help you through this time:

1. Plan your meals
Plan what you’re going to be eating in Suhur (your pre-dawn meal) and Iftaar. What you eat has an impact on your energy levels and it’s important to consume the right amount of carbs, protein, fruits, vegetables, and plenty of water.

2. Be productive
Even though you have a lunch break but can’t eat or drink anything, use this time productively. Avoid working through your lunch and do things like go out for a walk, take prayer breaks, or take a nap. Make a daily to-do list and write down what you’re finding challenging, and plan what to do to combat these things efficiently.

3. Take a break
Taking regular breaks increases productivity at Ramadan or any other time of the year. Plan your day and add a few breaks into your working day which will help you reduce stress, refresh your attention, and reduce the risk of on-job accidents, and keep you focused and on schedule. In turn, this will increase productivity as well as keeping you fresh throughout the day.

4. Vitamins can help
You can also try multivitamins, which are great for giving your body all the necessary nutrients. You can take multivitamins during Iftaar or Suhur, but just make sure it contains 1,000 IU of Vitamin D and at least 500mg of Omega-3s.

5. Every meal counts
Do not skip the Suhur meal. Some people do this to keep up with sleep, but you will need the energy from this meal to help you throughout the day. Eat your food slowly during the times that you can eat and drink. This makes the energy of the food release slowly into your system, making you feel energised for longer.

6. Stay connected
Staying connected with others throughout Ramadan will help you get through the fasting period. Attend the mosque for prayers with others, take your prayers at home if you live with others who are marking Ramadan, and make use of technology to stay in touch with friends and relatives who are also fasting.

April not only marks National Stress Awareness Month, but it also marks the time in the year where students begin to knuckle down and revise for their summer exams (coincidence?!). But there are some things we can do to combat stress whether it be education related or personal – one of key things being learning to relax.

Learning to relax is one of the best ways to deal with stress and its physical and emotional symptoms. Relaxation gives your body and mind a chance to calm down and recuperate. Some of the benefits include:

• decreased muscle tension
• lowered blood pressure
• increased energy
• decreased irritability
• increased ability to concentrate
• better sleep
• slower breathing and heart rate
• a general feeling of wellbeing

Here are some tips to help yourself to relax and ease stress. First, find a comfortable place, free of distraction.

Deep breathing
Concentrate on your breathing. Inhale with slow, deep breaths through your nose, and slowly exhale through your mouth. Imagine calmness entering your body with every inhalation and tension leaving your body with every exhalation. Counting each breath will help you stay connected to your breathing. Try to extend your exhale to be a few seconds longer than you inhale.

Progressive muscle relaxation
Lie down on a bed, sofa, or floor – anywhere you can comfortably stretch out. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply while you concentrate on each of the muscle groups in your body one at a time. Starting at your toes and working your way up your legs and continuing through your body to your neck and face, contract each muscle area and feel the tension as you breathe in, and then concentrate on letting it go on the exhale. Gradually your entire body will be completely relaxed.

Meditation
Meditation offers techniques and practices for attaining inner peace by focusing on images, sounds, or breathing. For instance, you might take a few minutes in a quiet place to close your eyes and quietly focus on a mental image, such as walking on a beach or in a wooded area, or on an object that calms you.

Stretching
Tension builds up in the muscles throughout your body. Just a few minutes a day of slowly and gently stretching your muscles can relieve a lot of that tension. Hold each position for 30 seconds. Don’t stretch too hard – you want to feel the muscles extended, but not pulled.

Exercise
Even a quick walk around the block can help to relieve tension. Find a physical activity works for you and do it at least a couple of times a week. Work up to getting 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise on all or most days of the week.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a way of becoming more aware of the moment without making judgments that can get in the way of being fully present. You can make an effort to become more mindful on your own by, for example, slowing down and savouring the taste of each bite of a meal instead of rushing through it.

Massage
Massaging muscles can relieve tension and help your muscles relax. Rub the tension out of your neck and shoulders yourself any time you feel tight. Remember to take a moment to stop what you are doing and concentrate on relaxing while you massage your neck and shoulders.

Many students struggle with stress and anxiety from time to time, particularly when juggling exams, coursework and life in general. Over the past year, however, students have had to face more stresses than usual. The pandemic has affected everyone in one way or another and we’ve all found our own ways to cope.

One of our Digital Marketing students has turned to Mindfulness to help manage stress and has found it so helpful, that she chose to share this newfound passion with her fellow coursemates. Megan Shipton led a Bitesize weekly online session with students to give tips on how to use Mindfulness effectively, sharing useful resources and even her own self-published book focusing on gratitude awareness and breathing methods.

Megan’s Story

“My interest in Mindfulness began while studying – I tuned in to myself and realised the importance of looking after my mental health. Mindfulness is something I try and tune into on a daily basis. By practising mindfulness techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathwork, I feel more present. As a mindfulness advocate, being present is so important when working or doing college work.

My favourite ways to practice mindfulness range from meditation and yoga to listening to podcasts. I try to find what works best for me in that moment by listening to how I feel. Sometimes, just taking a step back from everything and going for a walk helps me to feel more mindful and connected to myself.

‘Being Mindful’ is the short book I self-published, focusing on using gratitude awareness, breathing methods and guided imagery to help readers feel more mindful. Also, Mindfulness is different for everyone, however, the book shows that we can all use our own mindfulness techniques to create meaningful connections with the world around us.

Personally, the best piece of advice I have received is to take each moment as it comes. By focusing on the present moment, we are not thinking about the past nor worrying about the future. It is important to live presently and make the most of that moment whatever it is. Too often, we are trying to live as our future selves by stressing about our work or other tasks, when fundamentally all that matters is the here and now. If you are feeling stressed try to take a moment to remember what is important to you right now, whether this be prioritising work or focusing on yourself.

There are so many amazing podcasts and apps out there to help you on your mindfulness journey. At the moment, I am listening to Radio Headspace and The Alan Watts Audio Experience podcasts on Spotify. These podcasts are helping me understand the importance of perception and creating a positive environment in my mind. I also really recommend the Calm app, which is great for meditation and sleep.”

We’re loving these fantastic tips from Megan and can’t wait to take a look at her book. If you’re struggling at all and are in need of more wellbeing support, remember that anyone at Milton Keynes College can access free online mental health support with Togetherall, any time, any day. Whether you’re struggling to cope, feeling low or just need a place to talk, Togetherall can help you to explore your feelings in a safe supportive environment. 

Monday 16 January is here and is this year’s Blue Monday, frankly we don’t need it thank you. Move along please, no Blue Mondays over here! Start this week as you mean to go on! Here are some ideas from us to help you re-energise, blast away the brain fog and a reminder to make time for the things you love to do.

Daylight please!

Get outside and soak up as much of the natural daylight as you can, it’s a small window until it gets dark, so try to go for a lunchtime escape if you can.

Exercise

We promise it will make you feel good! Even a little walk with the dog or a bit of yoga on YouTube. Why not set yourself a fitness challenge; squats, sit ups, couch to 5k? You can do it!

Do something new!

Go on, now is the time. What have you had on your bucket list for ages? Even if it’s not open at the moment, do your research, make the plans so you are ready.

Learn something new

Yes, we might be a little bit limited on moving around at the moment, but there are so many amazing things to see and learn on the internet, from virtual tours in London to cookery classes, so many amazing free things to do online, pick up a new skill on Blue Monday!

Start a new book or podcast

Have you got a book waiting there on the shelf for you? Or maybe you haven’t got stuck into a good book in ages, go for it! Why not zone out and switch on a podcast, learn something new at the same time or just listen to a funny one!

Reconnect!

Who haven’t you spoken to in a while? Catch up with friends, a family member, someone you used to go to school with or work with… drop them a voice note or give them a call, we know they will be glad to hear your voice!

Music

That feeling when you forgot about a song and you hear it again for the first time in so long! Dig out your old playlists, have a kitchen disco whilst you wait for the kettle and the toaster in the morning, start the day right.

Do something nice

Send someone a nice video message, or a funny greetings card, or send them a little order through the post. Help out your family, any little ones home schooling in your house or surprise someone with a thoughtful gesture at home – a nice cuppa and biscuit for someone who’s been on video calls all morning.  Why not see what you could do to help a local charity, or someone you know who supports a charity? Milton Keynes has loads of great charities from foodbanks to animal sanctuaries, that you could help out, even if it’s just by commenting and sharing their posts on social media or holding on to old newspapers for rescued hedgehogs, it all helps!

Digital Detox

Do it! Leave the phone upstairs, the laptop on the table, go for that walk, dig into the book, do something else you love away from the tech. Go screen free, even if it’s just for a little while in the evening.

Laugh

What makes you laugh? Favourite film? Favourite comedian? Tune into them, watch that funny clip again. Laugh until your face hurts!!!!

Look after yourself, reward yourself, take the time to do what you love. Do that little thing that always makes you smile and will make your day a little bit brighter.

Your Mental Health and Wellbeing at MK College

If something is getting you down and it just isn’t going away, did you know you have access to support from the Counselling or Mental Health and Wellbeing team? Please talk to your tutor who can arrange your first meeting or you can contact the team yourself at wellbeingteam@mkcollege.ac.uk. Find out more: Student Development and Support.

Marc Gillham, Director of Funding, MIS & IT. Shares his story of life in lockdown.

The current pandemic has affected many people in lots of different ways. I, like many others, have experienced challenges adapting to the changes – and as we face a slow return to life before the COVID-19 lockdown – I wanted to take some time to reflect on my experience and how my perception of work and mental wellbeing has changed.

The last three months have certainly been some of the most challenging of my career! Making them stand out above the fond memories I have of 2017, when I experienced two months of a full Ofsted inspection followed by an ESFA Audit. As it became clear that a lockdown was inevitable, I found the stresses and strains of the job as severe as ever, and I am certain that I was not alone. I was making decisions without clarity on what the next steps would be, there was no manual and no past experience to fall back on. Sleep, something that I’ve had a tricky relationship with, suddenly was non-existent. Switching off was impossible, as I found myself hooked to a 24-hour news cycle as the pandemic unfolded.

Eventually, lockdown was announced, providing some clarity and moving us out of limbo. This seemed to make a difference to my mindset, and my focus was on making sure the College and my colleagues were supported with the digital transition. Even with our existing digital systems, moving an organisation offsite certainly presented some challenges!

After a few days of the ‘new normal’ I did what many people seemed to be doing, adjusting my work processes, and funnelling everything through Teams. I also cleaned, sorted the garden, and I started homeschooling my daughter, Ivy.

It wasn’t until after those first few weeks that I noticed something was missing, and I felt different. The same job pressures still existed and certain elements seemed to have increased, communications, for example. What I did notice, was that some of my personal stressors had disappeared. I took stock and reflected on what had changed, why had the traditional stresses gone when the work was equally challenging?

Here’s a few of my conclusions:

I looked at how my work/life balance had shifted. Not having to compete with Milton Keynes traffic gave me extra time in the morning to go for a run and prepare a proper breakfast before turning on the laptop. I was able to ease my way into the day ahead.

I found that I could take more control over my day and I was less likely to be derailed in the ‘new world’. I had space to think and plan, and I’ve found it easier to identify the things that are important and filter out the things that can wait.

Crucially, I’ve also been able to spend more meaningful time with Ivy. During this time, we’ve balanced home and work life in a way that was not possible before, and some of you have even had the pleasure of meeting Ivy on Teams calls. Although, I can’t say it has been plain sailing, as many of you with young children will appreciate.

And trying to get the right balance is hard; no-one should expect that they can be a full-time parent and a full-time employee during lockdown. I want to acknowledge the support that Louise has given me and others during lockdown. I’m in awe of how Louise has effectively run two households, hers and mine; coped with two children under eight, whilst being seven months pregnant and continued to be a dedicated Head of School. ​​​​​​​

Whatever happens in the next phase, particularly as we slowly move back to life after COVID-19; it’s important to hold on to the things that have allowed you to deal with life in lockdown. Whether it’s making sure that you have time for yourself, prioritising what is really important, or just going for a run in the morning.