You’ve got lots of good options for what to give up for Lent — and it doesn’t have to be just chocolate. Many Christians focus on three areas: habits , food/comforts, and time or money, so that the sacrifice actually draws them closer to God and others.

Quick Scoop

If you’re wondering “what can I give up for Lent?” , think in three lanes:

  • Something that breaks a bad habit (social media, gossip, complaining).
  • Something you enjoy that will hurt a bit to lose (coffee, sweets, eating out).
  • Something that frees time or money to love others better (streaming, Uber rides, impulse shopping).

Pick 1–3 things that are specific, challenging, and actually doable for 40 days.

Classic “give it up” ideas

These are the standard “what can I give up for Lent” options people still choose in 2026.

  • Sweets and desserts (chocolate, candy, pastries, ice cream).
  • Sugary drinks or soda, or “only water” for Lent.
  • Coffee or caffeine (or only drinking it at home, no fancy coffees).
  • Alcohol (wine, beer, cocktails).
  • Eating out or take‑out food, including fast food.
  • Meat more often than required (e.g., going vegetarian/vegan for all of Lent).
  • Snacking between meals or mindless grazing.

These work best if you connect them to prayer (e.g., every craving becomes a quick prayer) and maybe give any money you save to charity.

Digital & habit “detox” ideas

Modern “what can I give up for Lent” lists are full of digital fasting and attitude changes, not just food.

  • Social media (all of it, or just the worst time‑sink app).
  • Streaming (Netflix, YouTube, Twitch) on weeknights or after a set time (e.g., no screens after 8 p.m.).
  • Phone use after a certain hour, or checking your phone first thing in the morning.
  • Online gossip or rumor sites, celebrity drama, doomscrolling.
  • Video games or mobile games during weekdays.
  • Swearing, sarcasm, and negative talk, replacing it with encouragement and affirmations.
  • Complaining, comparison, or gossiping about others.

Some people on forums even talk about “giving up self‑criticism” or harsh judgment of others for Lent, focusing instead on mercy and kinder self‑talk.

“Take something on” for Lent

You don’t only have to give things up; you can also add something that costs you time, comfort, or money.

  • Daily prayer commitment: a short morning prayer, a daily Psalm, or a decade of the rosary.
  • Extra Mass or worship service during the week, if that’s part of your tradition.
  • Spiritual reading: a Gospel, a daily devotional, or a Lent reading plan.
  • Walking instead of driving short distances where possible, and using the walk to pray.
  • Volunteering: food bank, parish ministry, or local charity once a week.
  • Intentional generosity: set aside spare change or money saved from your fast to donate at Easter.

You can also do small acts like always letting others go first (in line, in traffic, at school), which some guides list as simple, everyday sacrifices.

More challenging / creative sacrifices

If you want something a bit more “out there” that you’ll really feel, many 2020s lists suggest unusual discomforts and lifestyle shifts.

  • No snooze button, getting up on the first alarm.
  • Lukewarm or cooler showers, or shorter showers to save water.
  • Turning the thermostat down a few degrees and offering the discomfort.
  • Always parking farther away and using the walk to pray.
  • Giving up unnecessary shopping, fast fashion, or impulse online orders.
  • “Carbon‑conscious” Lent: reducing car trips, cutting plastic, or working toward carbon‑neutral living as an act of care for creation.

Some Catholic and Christian youth resources also challenge people to give up laziness by walking daily, praying as they go, or to write affirmations every time they slip back into a bad habit like gossip.

How to pick the right thing

A simple way to choose what to give up for Lent:

  1. Ask: “What do I run to for comfort or distraction before I turn to God or others?” That thing is a strong candidate.
  1. Check: Will this sacrifice hurt enough to be meaningful but not be harmful or unsafe (physically or mentally)?
  1. Pair it: Connect your fast to a practice — prayer when you feel the loss, generosity with any time or money freed up.

For example, “I’ll give up streaming after 8 p.m., use that time to read Scripture, and put the money I’d spend on snacks toward a food bank.”

HTML ideas list (for your post)

Here’s an HTML table you can plug straight into your “what can I give up for Lent” article:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Category</th>
      <th>What to give up</th>
      <th>Optional ‘take on’ idea</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Food & drink</td>
      <td>Sweets, soda, coffee, alcohol, snacking between meals, eating out.[web:1][web:7]</td>
      <td>Use savings to donate to a food bank or charity.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Digital life</td>
      <td>Social media, streaming after a certain time, mobile games, online gossip.[web:3][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Replace screen time with prayer, reading, or journaling.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Habits & attitudes</td>
      <td>Complaining, gossip, swearing, negative self‑talk, harsh judgment.[web:2][web:5][web:7]</td>
      <td>Say one affirmation or kind word for every time you’re tempted.[web:5]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Comfort & convenience</td>
      <td>Snooze button, hot showers, close parking spots, impulse shopping.[web:1][web:3][web:7]</td>
      <td>Walk more, accept small discomforts, and offer them as prayer.[web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Time & service</td>
      <td>Idle scroll time, unnecessary outings, mindless TV.[web:3][web:5]</td>
      <td>Volunteer weekly, write notes of encouragement, or support a parish/charity project.[web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

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Looking for ideas on what can I give up for Lent? From food and social media to new prayer and service habits, here are practical, modern Lenten sacrifices inspired by 2026 guides and forums.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.