With countless pizza, sushi, and frozen yogurt restaurants scattered all over town, it seems to be Westport’s job to prevent fasting.  So from sundown to sundown, on October 3 to October 4, the Jewish community observing Yom Kippur will be waging a war against cravings.

The rules for fasting on the holiest day of the Jewish year go as follows:

No eating.

No drinking.

The purpose is to reflect and repent, so if you can’t make it the full 24 hours, don’t worry about it, because it’s the effort that counts.  But, for all of you who are determined to make it from sundown to sundown, there are a few pointers crucial to your success.

The first and maybe most important tip: Do. Not. Check. Instagram. No matter what.  News feeds nowadays are half #food pictures, and half #starbucks pictures, both of which will tempt you to eat that leftover Angelina’s pizza straight out of the fridge before you have time to listen to your conscience.

The second is: fasting is a mental skill, so losing sight of your goal for even a second will send you sprinting (or probably speed walking; fasting tends to drain energy) to the kitchen.

Keeping your mind off of the fact that you are fasting prevents you from remembering that you are, in fact, hungry.  This can translate to different things for different people.  For some, it could mean getting ahead on homework; for others, it could mean getting lost in a good book; but for most people, including myself, it means being on Netflix and praying your Wi-Fi doesn’t crash.

Finally, throughout the 24 hours, remain optimistic.  Remember the important reasons you are fasting and stay strong. You’ll be eating Five Guys before you know it.