Let me guess. You’re giving up Lent for Lent because you can’t be bothered, or you’re going to attempt to relinquish all your favourite crisps. Or maybe you’ve gone a bit edgy this year, and it’s Facebook or swearing that you’ve deserted ‘til March. But whilst these things are totally legitimate and probably very useful things to give up, maybe this year we should think outside the box and give up some stuff that holds a little more meaning…
Brain-blitzing Reality T.V.
Okay, so I know we all love it. Pretty much everyone has at least one of these guilty pleasures that they either watch religiously every week, or all at once when weeping in bed on a Sunday at how drunk they were the night before. Whether it be Made in Chelsea or Biggest Loser that gets you going, it starts to be a concern when you think of these fakers as real people, even worse so if you’ve reached the stage of actual emotional attachment. I’m not saying that you should sit and watch nature documentaries every time you fancy a bit of TV (although David Attenborough’s voice is like a dream), but just think what this is doing to your poor brain. So instead of spending your day off from university transfixed to the screen, yelling at the bamboons on Geordie Shore to stop getting their bits out, perhaps consider speaking to real humans, starting that essay, or joining yoga society. Instead of brain-draining your hangover day away with this garbage, or staying in on a Tuesday every week and refreshing 4OD until 11pm when your show is uploaded, this Lent why not make your life exciting enough to be a reality show in itself!
Binge Drinking
Although perhaps contradictory to my last point, your liver, your head, your personal tutor and your dignity would probably appreciate a break from all the Jaegerbombs, and Lent is the perfect excuse to hold back on the booze. Although drinking is arguably an inevitable part of socialising, we don’t need to be drunk to the point of weeing on the street, crying down the phone, or chundering into our laps the next day in our 9am lecture. So maybe for Lent, instead of downing 9 ciders, 4 shots and a slightly unnecessary WKD, take it easy and stick to your limit, and your bank balance and your body will most definitely appreciate it.
Stressing Out
We can’t help getting stressed sometimes. With coursework deadlines and exams, dwindling bank balances, one night stands and long distance boyfriends (although hopefully not the last two simultaneously) some would say us students have a lot to be stressed about. But the fact is, stress takes up a lot of time, and is really very unproductive. So instead of sitting staring at your to-do list and freaking out on the phone to your equally frazzled coursemate, actually start working through it and the stress will no doubt disappear. So maybe your flatmate hasn’t done the washing up, you lost your I.D. in Tequila and you are approaching Valentine ’s Day with a sinking feeling and a hatred for all things soppy. But the fact is, the washing up will get done, an I.D. is replaceable, and if there’s a Costco nearby go and stock up on chocolate for the dreaded V Day and hang out with other haters of the lovey-dovey.
Ignorance
At university, not only is the world beyond Leeds a mystery, but the people can become a distant memory too. Make time to speak to and, if possible, see your home friends this Lent, because chances are they’ve been meaning to talk to you too. Even if it’s just a quick phone call while you’re walking home from a seminar, just letting them know you are thinking about them won’t go unnoticed. Making an effort to shun your ignorance can go further too, to the wider world and what the hell is going on in it. Every time you open your laptop for your nineteenth check on Facebook that day, instead take a look at BBC News and find out what on earth is going on in the big scary world beyond the university bubble.
Some of the above is inevitable, and we may not be able to give up getting stressed or accidentally off our faces if it’s Quids In. However, even giving some of this stuff a go could make a massive difference to your relationships, your work ethic, and your liver. Whilst everyone enjoys a bit of rubbish on telly every now and again, and Twitter is definitely more addictive than any news website, Lent could be a time to re-think how you spend your time and try doing something a bit different. So instead of randomly deciding to give up the one thing you love most in the world (for most people, chocolate) then destroying your Lent-ish promise on Valentine’s day when you go mental with the Snickers, maybe this year it’s time to pick something a little bit different to let go of (and a lot more realistic, too)!