what are you supposed to give up for lent

You’re not actually required to give up any one specific thing for Lent; the idea is to give up (or take on) something that helps you turn away from sin, grow in self‑discipline, and draw closer to God.

What Lent Is About

Lent is a 40‑day season (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter, focused on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, especially in many Christian traditions like Catholic, Anglican, and some Protestant churches. The classic pattern isn’t just “quit chocolate,” but: deny yourself something, pray more, and be more generous to others.

Things People Commonly Give Up

Many people choose practical sacrifices that they’ll feel almost every day, so they act as a constant reminder to pray. Typical examples include:

• Certain foods: sweets, snacks, fast food, red meat, soda, or alcohol.
• Comforts: hot showers (switching to lukewarm), snooze button, eating out, fancy coffee.
• Media/tech: social media, streaming services, video games, scrolling in bed, phone use after a certain time.
• Habits: gossip, swearing, complaining, online drama or “doomscrolling.”

Some guides for 2026 specifically suggest ideas like giving up coffee or alcohol, limiting social media, reducing screen time after 8 p.m., or keeping the thermostat a little cooler as a form of small daily sacrifice.

It’s Not Just Giving Up: Also “Taking On”

A lot of modern Lent guides stress that you don’t only give up ; you also take on positive practices.

Common “take on” ideas:

• Prayer: daily Scripture reading, a decade of the Rosary, a short examen at night, daily or weekly Mass.
• Generosity: donating to a food bank, setting aside change in a jar for charity, giving time or skills to help someone.
• Relationships: daily act of kindness, intentionally thanking someone each day, putting the phone away at meals.

A popular approach is: pick one thing to give up and one thing to start doing, so Lent changes both your habits and your heart.

How To Choose What You Should Give Up

Good spiritual advice is: give up what actually gets between you and God, not just something random. A few guiding questions:

1. What do I run to for comfort before I even think of praying? (Food, phone, shopping, etc.)
2. What bad habit is hurting my relationships? (Impatience, sarcasm, gossip, porn, constant distraction.)
3. What small sacrifice would I really feel every day, but that is still realistic for 40 days?

Then choose something that:

• Is specific (“No social media after 8 p.m.” rather than “be better with my phone”).
• Is measurable (you can tell if you did it or not).
• Points you toward God (when you miss the thing, you turn that moment into a quick prayer).

For example: instead of “give up snacks,” you might say, “No snacks between meals, and every time I crave one, I’ll say a short prayer for someone.”

Real‑World and Forum‑Style Examples

Lists and forums online show how varied people’s choices are—from serious to humorous.

More serious examples:

• Snacking between meals.
• Texting while driving.
• Gossip and negative talk.
• Overspending or impulse shopping.
• Excessive gaming or streaming.

On lighter or more tongue‑in‑cheek forums, you’ll see people joke about giving up things like “hope,” “religion,” or “roller blading,” which mostly shows that Lent talk has become a bit of a cultural meme too, not just a church‑insider thing.

TL;DR: You’re “supposed” to give up something that’s a real sacrifice and that helps you grow closer to God—commonly certain foods, drinks, media, or bad habits—ideally paired with extra prayer and generosity.