40 Things You Can Give Up for Lent in 2025

It's time to finally make good on your goal of going to the gym! Use this Lenten season to create healthy habits that will benefit both your body and your mind. Think of it as a way to practice discipline and glorify God by using the physical form he gave you! You can try out a gym membership or even workout at home—or start small by going on daily walks. Either way, you can give up saying "no" to working out by picking a number of days to get active, then sticking to it!

Tired of being known as the person who is always running behind? Now's the time to change that! Whether you're consistently late to dinner plans or routinely jumping onto work calls after they've started, being behind schedule is definitely a bad habit to break. This Lent, make an effort to be on time! You'll find yourself less stressed and more present when you're not frantically hurrying out the door.

If you live in a walkable city or near public transportation, but often find yourself skipping the extra steps or bypassing the train for the ease of an Uber, make a pact to cut down on your rideshare usage. Sometimes calling a driver is necessary, but when it's not, head to the subway station or leave early enough to get to your destination on foot. It's better for the environment and your bank account!

Nobody wants to go to the doctor, but it's important to be sure you're staying on top of your health. After all, your wellbeing is a gift from God. So, be sure to set aside some time during Lent to make those appointments you've been putting off. You can schedule checkups with your primary care physician, optometrist, dentist, or any other specialty doctor you need to see.

Workaholics, this one is for you! While it can be tempting to constantly stay in the know on all things related to your job, those late nights and early mornings aren't always necessary! When typical work hours are over, shut down your computer and vow to not check emails again until the workday starts anew. All that extra time can be put towards other areas of your life such as personal relationships and growing closer to God.

While gaming can be a thrilling escape from the world around you, it's also a timely habit that can take away from other important activities. If you find yourself playing video games pretty often, choose to put that energy towards your spiritual growth this Lenten season. And this doesn't just go for Xbox! You can also step away from your favorite app on your phone or a computer game that you frequently pull up.

You might be accustomed to letting your alarm go off, then hitting the snooze button several times before actually getting out of bed. (Just ten more minutes, right?) Instead, try getting up the first time it goes off. To make this easier, establish a set bedtime and limit screen time as you're going to sleep. Your sleep cycle will be better for it—and you lessen the chance of accidentally oversleeping!

If you have an office job, odds are most of your day is spent sitting hunched over a desk. And by the time the weekend rolls around, you're probably too tired to leave your bed or couch. While it's easy to give into a sedentary lifestyle, make it a goal to get your steps in or at least stand and stretch more throughout the day. You could do this by signing up for a new workout class or getting a standing desk to break up those long hours spent sitting.

There's nothing like the satisfying crunch of chips, candies, and popcorn, especially when parked in front of the TV with a good show or at your desk while working. However, mindlessly munching on unhealthy snacks can add up in the long run and be a detriment to your overall health. Cut out this habit by serving yourself a portion of your snack of choice in a bowl rather than eating it straight out of the bag, or stick to healthy snacks like veggie sticks and hummus for when you really need that nonstop crunch.

If you have an ever-growing list of tasks that you've vowed to "do tomorrow," then giving up procrastination may be difficult but rewarding for you. Instead of putting things off because you can't fathom doing them all in a day, make a small to-do list of tasks in order of easy to hard and do a few each day. Completing each task will motivate you to do the next and create new neural pathways that will eventually help you stop procrastinating once and for all.

Doing the dishes can be a tedious task, and it's tempting to toss things into the sink with the promise to handle them later. But there's no better time to break the cycle than now. And you never know, it might become a lasting change, earning genuine appreciation from your family or roommates for your efforts.

If your wind down time looks like scrolling on your phone while watching tv, you aren't alone. In this day and age, most everyone is used to using at least two devices, if not more, at one time. It's not an understatement that life is busy. However, engaging in multitasking implies that you're not fully dedicating 100% of your attention to any single task. So, instead of watching the latest episode of your favorite show while doing the dishes, just finish the dishes. This practice will cultivate greater mindfulness in your life.

With more food delivery services than fingers on your hands, ordering takeout is easier than ever. It's also so satisfying to get your favorite foods delivered straight to your door without messing with pots, pans, and dishes. But takeout is expensive and potentially unhealthy, as you don't know what heavy oils and additives restaurants use behind the kitchen doors. Opt for cooking at home whenever you can, and when time is tight, opt for pick-up instead of delivery. Ultimately, the money saved can be directed towards something truly meaningful.

At a time when screens are necessary to work, communicate with friends and family, and even read books, it's hard to limit the time spent staring at those backlit screens. Test your self-restraint by deleting some or all of your social media apps from your phone, and watch as your schedule opens up to a host of new activities offline.

Let's face it: winding down after a long day with a cold one or a glass of wine is a comforting and easy habit, especially during the colder months of the year. But when this habit becomes more frequent, it can affect your health and mindset. Eliminating alcohol from your diet can boost your energy levels and contribute to your healthy weight loss goals.

For those night owls, it's hard to resist the allure of the dark and go to bed at a reasonable hour. If it seems that even when you get into bed by 9 p.m., you stay up scrolling past midnight, challenge yourself to break that habit. Set a nightly alarm on your phone to avoid getting engrossed in a show, work, or your computer, and put that time into developing a self-care routine to help you relax instead.

Many of us don't mean to say judgmental things, but sometimes our impulses get the best of us. When a critical thought about another person pops into your head, take a moment to ask yourself why you're thinking that. Is it because you feel uncomfortable? Will the critique help the other person or just make them feel bad? It takes effort, but practice verbal restraint for Lent.

"Cut" unnecessary shortcuts out of your life during Lent. You'll be surprised to find how difficult it is to keep up. That might mean opting for the stairs over the elevator or escalator. It may mean walking instead of driving. This can also look like giving someone a call instead of texting.

Coffee and tea have some wonderful health benefits, but some of us feel like we can't survive without our daily cup of caffeine. That's because many Americans consume more than a healthy amount. If you're drinking more than one cup of coffee a day, cut down to just the morning dose or try to drop it for Lent altogether. You might feel a bit off at first, but after a few days, your body will recalibrate.

Specifically red meat. Listen, we all love a good ol' steak and fries or burger. But too much red meat isn't good for you or the environment. Take this opportunity to cut out red meat. It will make your Easter feast that much more exciting, and it could lead to a more plant-forward diet in the future.