When having a craving for something you don’t want to crave, it can feel like a struggle of willpower trying to resist the temptation of “giving in” to this craving.

Try this instead:

• Make yourself lazy:
  • Instead of trying to resist and hold back, focus on not moving at all.
  • Don’t get up off the couch, don’t walk to the bar for the second drink.

• Make it inconvenient or, better yet, near impossible, to obtain it:
  • What can you do that will prevent you from getting close to obtaining that thing?
  • Don’t bring your credit card, don’t walk downstairs.

• Focus on inaction rather than action.
  • What can you not do?
  • Make it more comfortable to not move toward that craving. Get more comfortable on the couch. Put your feet up. Grab a blanket.
  • Focus on just not moving for this one minute. Do this one minute at a time, until your next meal, or bedtime, or the craving passes.

Tags: impulse/craving