We are only into the second month of year and already another long stretch of what I would call the second round of New Year’s resolutions- Lent!

What is Lent?
Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation before the celebrations of Easter. By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. Lent is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays during Lent, adults abstain from eating meat. During these days, it is not acceptable to eat lamb, chicken, beef, pork, ham, deer, and most other meats. However, eggs, milk, fish, grains, and fruits and vegetables are all allowed.

I am not Catholic, so there is a difference to how I do a Lent. I still give up a few things for the forty days and incorporate habits I need to start doing. It’s like a second chance at those resolutions/ goals I made at the beginning of the year. I look at it more as getting back into having a healthy relationship with myself, the people around and with God.

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So here is the plans for the next forty days until Easter.

Health:

I am sure you all knew this was coming. I seem to do one every year, and then spectacularly fail at it. Judging from how last year went, I am going to admit my life of junk food consisting of cake, cookies, Bubbly soda and eating out has come to a head. I can no longer carry on being so over indulgent and emotionally eating when sh!t hit the fan. I’m certainly happy to admit I need to make changes. It’s been a constant struggle these past nine months to workout and eat healthy. It took one look at my friend’s wedding pictures to convince me I had to do something or else things would only get worse. My relationship with food has hit rock bottom and is effecting other relationships in the process.

So this is my attack plan for the next forty days:

1. 30-40 minutes of exercise daily
2. Give up junk food and the weekly food truck at work
3. No snacking after 8 pm
4. More water and tea throughout the day
5. Mediterranean diet (Meatless Mondays and Fish Fridays)
6. Skin care routine at night

Spiritual:

Being spiritually unhealthy is the same as being physically unhealthy. This time of the year get me back on track again after two months of hangover from December. I recently started doing a study on Sabbath with a few friends, and now I really want to dive deep into the practice that has gone by the wayside on this modern world. It’s not all spending a whole day with reading the Bible (not a bad idea if you really feel the need), it is to carve out a time to rest- whole day.

The plan:

1. Practice the Sabbath on Sunday
2. Daily Prayer and request of prayer from others (something I need to start to do when I really need it!)
3. Bible study on my own

Mental Health and Self-Care:

Mental health and self-care tie neatly into the above areas of Lent. Without it, the relationships cannot being sustained nor habits formed. It is interconnected with health and the spiritual aspects of someone.

Here is the plan for my mental health and self-care:

1. Reading for 1 hour a daily at minimum
2. Mindfulness and decompressing after a long day at work
3. Self-care day tied in with the Sabbath.

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I am optimistic about the coming days, starting on Ash Wednesday, and am ready to take a leap into a better relationship with myself and with God along this forty day journey.

Are you celebrating Lent this year? Or any of the other religious holidays coming up?