5 things every student should (probably!) give up for Lent
Could you survive the whole 40 days of Lent not doing these things?
It’s everyone’s favourite holiday: Pancake day! But once the fun of flipping pancakes and having dessert for dinner is over, it’s Lent. Lent derives from the Christian practice of giving up something you love for the 40 days in the run up to Easter, after celebrating Shrove Tuesday. Lent traditionally includes fasting, but nowadays many people just use the time to test their willpower, or as a springboard to that new healthier lifestyle, by giving up something such as junk food or smoking. But who’s got the willpower to ditch sweets for over a month? So, if you’re up for the challenge, here’s some more practical ideas of what you could give up for lent.
Procrastinating
We’re all guilty of this one! You’re probably reading this to put off doing something incredibly important, like a looming deadline. And I spent far too long choosing the Gifs for this article. So I understand that going out of your way to proactively tackle university work might be the biggest challenge of all. But why not spend the next 40 days just, you know, cracking on with stuff? Get out your finest stationery and stop making to-do list and start ticking things off them! You’ll probably get more work done in the next 40 days than the rest of the academic year.
Bickering with your housemates
I’m sure your family’s always telling you that the three years you spend at university are the best of your life. So why spend all that time in your bedroom because you can’t stand the arguments about milk? Why not use Lent as an opportunity for a peace treaty? Relive the good old days, before people not emptying the washing machine drove you all to tears? Spend the next 40 days planning some delicious student friendly meals and have some tasty dinner parties. You don’t even have to argue about what music to play. Or maybe invite your course friends over and have a huge study session? It beats staying in your room all day, and everyone can all always agree to go back to not agreeing with each other after Easter break!
Skipping out on the cleaning
Again, another thing we’re all guilty of. Sometimes you’re in a rush to get to lecturers and taking the bins out isn’t the most convenient thing, but you could take the next 40 days as a time to be proactive and on top of your cleaning game. Break out the Mr Muscle and tackle the stains on the wall where everyone launches teabags at the bin, because it’s too far a walk from the kettle. When Lent is over feel free to go back to the natural student ways of ignoring the washing up until all you have left is a single spoon!
Social Media
Admit it, how much time do you spend aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, or stalking your ex’s third cousin’s wife on Instagram? Knock the social obsession on the head and you’ll find that you suddenly have an abundance of spare time. If you give up the hours of mindless scrolling and liking that takes up your day, you’ll also have more to post online once you return from your social media hiatus.