Yes. It’s that time of year again where, if you celebrate Lent, you give up something in your life for the forty day duration. Lent is traditionally a Catholic celebration that mirrors when Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights.
I’m not trying to get religious here though because I, myself, am not even Catholic! I personally feel like Lent is a good practice for everyone in order to test your self-control and limits when it comes to aspects of our lives that we feel we cannot live without. Some great favorable things to give up for Lent include:
1. Social Media
2. Sweets
3. Meat
4. Negativity
5. Smoking
6. Alcohol
7. Procrastination
8. Coffee
9. Makeup
10. Swearing
Now these are very generic areas to give up and I know some people (including myself) might not find too much difficulty in giving up these guilty pleasures, but if those listed above are too challenging for you, then let’s make it more specific for you to be successful!
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Give up your favorite social media, not all of them.
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Maybe avoid your favorite soda, juice or candy.
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Skip out on red meat.
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If you feel yourself getting to a negative place, replace it with a positive energy and thought process.
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There are many constructive ways to avoid smoking although I know it is a lot easier said than done. According to WebMD, it is recommended to use behavioral therapy, nicotine replacement therapy, and combination therapy to help you kick the habit.
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To give up alcohol, you can go out with your friends less and/or try a virgin spin on your favorite cocktails and try those trendy mocktails.
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Procrastination is a big one that we can all work on. It might help to stick to a planner and plan out each minute of the day. Even if you don’t follow your planner exactly, you can only try your best and don’t forget to plan some “Me Time” everyday.
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Instead of coffee, you can switch to decaf coffee, tea or even play around with new drink choices at your local cafe that don’t contain caffeine.
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I know for some, makeup can be a dealbreaker, but hear me out, you can wear minimal makeup, give up a particular brand, or a particular type of makeup.
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Swearing can be replaced with a kid-friendly counterpart like, “crap” or “darn”. Overall putting a halt on cursing might improve your vocabulary.
These are a few areas that you can narrow down and make personal to you. You will probably be more successful in your 40-day adventure if you replace one habit with another. When you give up that favorite something, it could change your perspective on things so give it a shot and good luck!