“Take up” and “Give Up” are Healthy Habits for Lent! [Bulletin date: March 1, 2026]
It is thought that if you do something for more than 21 days it can become a habit. Why not take the season of Lent – the 40 days before Easter – and start some healthy habits?
Many of us give up foods or indulgences during Lent, only to be relieved on Easter Sunday to enjoy that item again (such as chocolate). This year, try “giving up” by “taking up” some new behaviors that can become healthy habits all year long.
Our minds and spirits are intimately connected to our bodies and therefore, our choice of foods and activities affect our physical, mental, and spiritual health. This year, make Lent a season full of healthy cooking, exercising, relaxation, or learning a new activity! Prepare meals with whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, low fat content, and reduced calories. Make an effort each day to put down the phone or walk away from the computer and spend time with family, friends, and God through prayer or meditation. Set an alarm to go to bed on time! Or, get up 30 minutes early each day and exercise, read the Bible or another spiritual inspiration. Make a family promise to drop the “I want…” phrase from conversation and instead, donate to a worthy cause the money once spent on non-necessities.
By “taking up”
to “give up” throughout the season of Lent, these new behaviors will become
habits – ones that can last beyond the chocolate on Easter. Just think how
routine these healthy habits will be by Advent!
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