It is Lenting season, the time of the year to slow down and focus on the things that really matter. It is not at all a time of sacrifice - at least not in a negative way. It is rather to be seen as 40 days of realigning your focus, decelerating your daily life and getting rid of bad habits. Here are some ideas on what to do without during those 6 weeks.
Sometimes, we need a special date or moment to pull ourselves together and finally make a change. New Year's Day is probably the most famous example, but there is another time of the year where great and impressive things are happening:
THE LENTING SEASON
Religious in origin, this time period between Ash Wednesday and Holy Saturday is supposed to remind us that nothing can be taken for granted and that we should remember to appreciate what we have. Therefore, we are encouraged to consciously dispense on something we value, to make ourselves aware of its role in our life and at the same time to refocus on what really matters. While meat and alcohol were the typical elements to do without back then, nowadays there are almost no limits regarding the object of fasting.
1) Sugar
When I actively took part in the Lenting season for the first time (I think it was 2011), I decided to try my luck with sugar. No chocolate, no candies, no sweets of any kind for 40 whole days! "Impossible" was my first thought, but luckily, I had a fellow combatant who also wanted to try out this new experience, so we could support each other and celebrate our success with a great meal at the end.
What's important if you decide to give it a try, is to set some general rules right from the beginning. Like that, there will be no doubts whatsoever about what you can do or eat and what you cannot. After that, all that's left to do is to follow those guidelines and to be astonished about what you are capable of and what wonderful effects this "sacrifice" can have on your physical and mental health.
2) Meat
This is another good option if you want to change your eating habits for the better. Not only does meat play a significant role regarding climate change, it also has an impact on your overall health, which is why we should generally pay attention to what kind of meat we are consuming and in what quantities.
Fasting is always also about challenging yourself to gain wisdom and (mental) power, so whatever you choose to dispense with for 40 days, should not be too easy. Meat would therefore not really be an option if you are already a vegetarian, for example. Pick something that you don't need to survive, but consume frequently and without thinking. Like this, the fasting period can reveal if you really need this commodity as much as you think you do or if it has maybe become a little too much.
3) Alcohol
Beer, wine and liqueurs are luxury goods that have been the reason for several funny evenings and sometimes equally bad hangovers. In any case, your liver will probably thank you if you deliberately decide to stay sober for those 40 days of Lent.
Depending on the rules that you have set before and on how strict you want to be with yourself, you can of course grant yourself some "cheat days" inbetween. This makes it easier to not feel too overwhelmed by the large quantity of almost 2 whole months, which gives you a little more confidence in the first place. It's up to you how you want to deal with this precious privilege - will you give yourself permission to one day a week? Or maybe one glass of red wine if you managed to drink 2 liters of water during the day?
4) Netflix
Television and social media are the worst modern time-killers. The average user spends around 2 hours watching series as well as at least 2.5 hours browsing Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Per day, mind you! Imagine what you could do with all this additional free time if the screen(s) would simply stay switched off?
A way to motivate yourself and to help you make it through those 40 days, is to promise yourself an appropriate and attractive reward. If you choose to forego a certain aliment, you can treat yourself with a homemade five course menu or your favorite restaurant after the fasting period. Whatever you choose, it should be related to your object of sacrifice, so that it all makes more sense. If you decide to not watch Netflix for 40 days, you could buy some tickets for a nice stage play or concert. Something you can look forward to.
5) Stress
This one is a little bit trickier, since the perception of stress as well as the efficient antidotes vary from person to person and the whole concept is not as concrete and as tangible as foregoing a certain nutrient, for instance. It is a wonderful approach nevertheless, since it reflects the whole meaning of Lent. Try out some stress-reducing methods (meditation, physical activity, a hot bath) and say "no" to tedious tasks as often as possible.
Overall, it can be very useful to observe what the fasting does to you. Do you have the feeling that it has a positive effect on you, your mindset and your (bodily) wellbeing? If yes, why not try to continue a little longer after fast-breaking? Maybe not as strictly as during those 40 days, but a little less alcohol, meat, TV shows or whatever you had picked for your personal adventure can hardly do any harm, don't you think?