The fast has barely started, yet somehow your head already feels heavy, your focus is slipping, and everything seems annoyingly frustrating. If this sounds familiar, it does not necessarily mean you are impatient—it might simply be your brain struggling to adapt.
Welcome to Ramadan: the month when the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)—the brain’s “CEO” responsible for self-control, focus, decision-making, and emotional regulation—is forced to keep working with limited fuel.
So if you become more emotional, easily distracted, or mentally exhausted while fasting, your brain may simply be under pressure.
The Prefrontal Cortex: The Real Survivor During Fasting
The PFC is located right behind the forehead and plays a crucial role in regulating higher mental functions. It helps us stay disciplined, think clearly, manage emotions, and make rational decisions.
The problem is: the PFC consumes a lot of energy.
Under normal conditions, it relies heavily on glucose as its primary fuel source. Once fasting begins and glucose intake drops, the brain has to work harder to maintain performance.
The result?
Your concentration starts to drift.
Small things suddenly feel irritating.
Even simple decisions become surprisingly difficult.
In short, your brain’s CEO is running on low battery mode.
Does Fasting Make the Brain Slower—or Stronger?
At first glance, fasting may seem to reduce mental sharpness. However, research actually suggests the opposite: fasting can strengthen the brain over time.
When glucose availability decreases, the brain gradually shifts to using ketones as an alternative energy source. Interestingly, ketones may help improve the brain’s resilience to stress and increase adaptability.
Studies also show that fasting may increase Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein associated with learning, memory, focus, and long-term brain health.
So although the first few hours may feel mentally draining, your brain is essentially going through a form of training—learning to become more efficient and resilient.
The Biggest Challenge: Studying (and Teaching) While Fasting
Now imagine having to study—or teach—topics about the brain while your own brain is still adjusting to fasting.
As the new semester begins at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Muria Kudus, both students and lecturers may find themselves facing the same struggle.
As a Biopsychology lecturer, I can honestly say that students are not the only ones trying to survive.
Explaining dopamine and the reward system while personally thinking about the reward of breaking the fast.
Discussing cortisol and stress regulation while trying not to become stressed yourself.
Teaching the autonomic nervous system while silently hoping your own nervous system keeps functioning properly.
And for students, understanding neurotransmitters during fasting can sometimes feel harder than resisting thirst itself.
Still, this is what makes fasting fascinating: it becomes a real-life demonstration of how the human brain adapts under challenging conditions.
Plot Twist: This Is Actually Biopsychology
If discussions about the Prefrontal Cortex, emotional regulation, stress, and brain adaptation caught your attention, congratulations—you have just stepped into the world of Biopsychology.
A field that occasionally overwhelms not only students, but lecturers too.
So the next time you feel more emotional while fasting, remember: your brain is adapting, not failing.
And if you manage to stay calm, focused, and emotionally regulated throughout the day, perhaps your Prefrontal Cortex deserves an award this Ramadan.
Until the Maghrib call to prayer finally arrives, maybe there is something worth reflecting on:
Besides self-control and focus, what other capacities can fasting help us strengthen?
Patience? Mental endurance? Emotional resilience?
Perhaps Ramadan trains more than just the body—it trains the brain as well.
Written by Ruth NS
Lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Muria Kudus
Founder of PhiliaTalks