Self-Care for Lent

Lent isn’t about self-improvement. As people begin planning out their Lenten season, there is a tendency to treat it like New Year’s resolutions. “I’m going to cut out sweets.” “I’m going to exercise more.” “I’m going to bed earlier.” And every year we are reminded that Lent isn’t New Years. It’s not about your self-improvement plans or weight loss goals. It’s about your spiritual development and drawing closer to God.

Are you giving up chocolate because it’s distracting you from God or because you need to cut back on the sugar? Shouldn’t our intentions during Lent be a bit more outward focused?

Maybe not. Maybe the self-improvement plans are ok for Lent. They might be a more roundabout way of getting there, but I think they do lead to spiritual benefit.

What others call indulgences, millennials often call self-care. Self-care is about carving out time to focus on you—turn down invitations, order take-out instead of cook, take a bath, spend the weekend hiking, and let the chores wait until next week. It sounds selfish or lazy, but it’s actually really important. Millennials are known for being economically screwed. They’re poor and stressed. Time to focus on mental health and rest is important, even if you have to schedule it in and label self-care so that it doesn’t feel indulgent.

Similarly, mental and physical wellness help our spiritual wellness. It’s hard to focus on apologetics with caffeine withdrawal. It’s hard to pray when sleep deprived. Our bodies, our postures, our health, all affect how we are able to worship and serve. So self-improvement in physical or mental health will help improve your spiritual life, it is a worthy Lenten pursuit.