Cravings

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn

Cravings will come and go every day, depending on how tired you are, what stressors you have in your life, etc. The good thing about cravings is that they are normal and will eventually pass. They will also decrease in strength and frequency over time.

Here are some coping strategies that may work for you.

Learning to resist cravings

The mental activities of cravings and urges disappear over time as long as you don’t actively pay attention to them. After some time, they will run their course and disappear, usually within 10-15 minutes. It’s ok to sit with the temporary discomfort. It won’t “kill” you and will pass pretty quickly. You then can feel good about your achievement!

Remember that it’s important not give up what you want most for what you want in the moment.

Work on NOT giving in no matter how bad the craving is and it will eventually pass. All the cravings you have ever had have passed. Once you stop giving in to your cravings, you know you can and will do it again and again. And after a short time, there will be fewer cravings and the ones you have will continue to diminish in intensity. The key is to wait them out.

Another thing you can do when you experience a craving is to quickly substitute a thought or activity that’s more beneficial or fun. Take a walk or any other form of exercise. Pick up something new to read or turn on something to listen to. Reach out to me or Sandra or your accountability partner. The possibilities to substitute (and lessen the craving more quickly) are endless.

Think about and write down some possibilities so you will have a list on hand when cravings occur.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *