Whether you’re religious or not – the fasting period from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday is widely known. In Christian tradition, fasting from food and indulgences takes center stage, serving as a form of reflection and a reminder of Jesus’ time fasting in the desert. Today, however, many people observe these 40 days for health or mental well-being reasons as well.
We’ve often discussed fasting in the office and decided this year to share our experiences with you. What our “40 days with or without” look like – and what we hope to gain from them – you can find out here.
Fasting – but why?
Why do so many people, whether religious or not, follow the fasting trend? Fasting is no longer just about spiritual or religious motives. Today, health and mental well-being are the main focus.
After weeks of indulgence, many people want to feel better in their bodies again as spring approaches and do something positive for their health. Others focus more on the mental aspect – letting go of negative thoughts and time-wasters to concentrate on what truly matters in life.
Our Herbacin experiment
At the beginning of the year, during a casual hallway chat about our goals, it quickly became clear that we wanted to try a shared experiment. Our colleagues Birgit, Theresa, and Caroline are each taking on a personal 40-day challenge. Every week, they will share their experiences and updates on our Instagram profile @herbacincosmetic.
Simply giving up sweets or indulgences wasn’t challenging enough for them. So each of them chose a goal that not only presents a challenge but also has a mental, physical, or health-related benefit.
Our active and sporty colleague Birgit, who loves outdoor activities, has decided to go 40 days without negative thoughts. “I’m trying to turn every negative thought into a positive one. Especially in times like these, it’s good for my mood – and also for my skin, because I’ll frown less and feel better overall.”
Our intern Theresa is starting 40 days with! “I want to do 20 minutes of hula hoop every day to do something for my body.” From now on, she has a fixed daily appointment in her calendar – no excuses.
Caroline, who works in our marketing team, wants to go 40 days without hitting the snooze button and instead get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning. “I want to become an early bird again and start my day calmly, without rushing. If I manage 40 days, it will have become a solid routine.”
So, the goals are set. Now we’re excited to see how they manage the 40 days and what experiences they’ll gain along the way. You can follow their progress and weekly updates every Friday on our Instagram channel @herbacincosmetic.