Lent is around the corner and you’re wondering what you’re going to give up. There’s only so many times you can give up chocolate and this year you want to do something different. Here are 50 unique things you can consider giving up for Lent!
Recommended: Catholic Kid Activities for Each Day of Lent
Give up:
- Sleep: Get up earlier to read scripture and pray
- Negativity: Focus on the positive!
- Complaining: Bite your tongue and offer it up.
- Doing your hair before church: Consider veiling!
- Social Media: The modern day “chocolate” that Catholics give up for Lent
- Condiments: Think Mayo-less deviled eggs
- Enjoying nap time: when your kids go down for a snooze, keep moving and get stuff done!
- Sitting on sin: Go to weekly confession
- Phones: Put your phone on vibrate except for certain times of the day
- Drinks: Only drink water
- Sugar: Cut the sweets!
- Screens: Eliminate screen time one day per week
- Electricity: For one hour per day, turn off all the lights and screens (but maybe not the heater if it’s necessary!)
- Stuff: Go the minimalist route and purge something every day
- Swearing: Kick those nasty words to the door
- Saying the Lord’s name in vain (Oh my God/ gosh)
- Alcohol: Just consider first if no wine for 40 days would actually make you a better person! 😉
- Turning the other way: Go out of you way for your neighbors
- Selfishness: Do one nice thing for someone else every day
- Forgetfulness: Make a list of people to pray for daily and follow up with them to see how they’re doing
- Passing the basket: Make it a point to tithe more by saving up in a different area of your life
- Cooking only for your family: Bring a meal to a family going through a rough time or an elderly neighbor, etc
- Netflix: Watch Formed.org instead!
- Games: that small, sad violin for Candy Crush
- Busyness: Make time for the things that matter like prayer, rest, and quality family time
- Microwave: Get creative with reheating in pots and pans!
- Eating out: East in and make it count
- Meat: Become a vegetarian-friendly house for Lent
- Shopping: Only spend money on necessary groceries and toilet paper
- Spending money: Spend no money whatsoever during Lent! Stockpile groceries and get creative cooking from nothing as Lent goes on
- Comfort: give up sitting in your favorite spot on the couch or sleeping with a pillow
- Walking in comfort: Put a small pebble in your shoe daily that will bother you just enough to remind you to pray
- Warmth: Give up warm showers
- Laundry machines: Wash everything by hand
- Talking too fast: Think before speaking
- Sacrifice: Give up the best parking spot for someone else and save the last cookie for your kids
- Cards: Use only cash to make purchases
- Texting: Only call or use email
- Caffeine: This may or may not be the best Lent ever
- Closing your eyes to need: Help through a service project or shelter
- Praying in privacy: Pray in front of an abortion clinic once per week
- Paper plates and paper towels: go green!
- Blow drying your hair: Brr!
- Makeup: “You’re never fully dressed without a smile!” (Annie)
- Yelling: Change your parenting style
- Mirrors: Wipe your face really well after brushing your teeth!
- Hitting the snooze button: good luck!!
- Elevators: Take the stairs, friend!
- Talking first: Make it a point to listen better and ask questions
- Driving by the church: Stop in the church for Adoration for an hour every week
Do you like attending Catholic events? Check out what’s happening in your diocese!
I hope these help you! Want more ideas? Check out SO many more ideas on our Lent Pinterest board. Follow it here!
Also, if you’re looking for a Catholic prayer journal to help you through Lent, especially in growing closer to Our Lord in His Passion, you might like Our Lady of Sorrows: A Catholic Novena & Meditation Prayer Journal. (This is an Amazon affiliate link) I wrote this to help others grow closer to Our Lady of Sorrows and learn what it means to stand next to Jesus during His Passion and Crucifixion. I hope you like it!
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(This post was last updated Jan. 19, 2020)