Gain power over your cravings
We have cravings for many things, food, sex, new shoes, play, etc. We gain power over our cravings, by training the mind. Yep, it all comes back to mindfulness. 🙂
Four ways to work with cravings.
- Learn to Pause. By learning how to be mindful of what we are hungry for we can then train the mind to notice, but not automatically react based on habitual patterns. In other words, we can notice we have desire for the cookie, but not just eat it.
- Get enough sleep. It has been found by research that we aren’t able to make the best choices around food when we are sleep deprived. I would also include that we are more irritable, have less ability to concentrate and focus, and our overall capacities for our life are diminished when we have less sleep. (http://uctv.tv/shows/Sleep-Deprivation-Disrupts-Human-Brain-Reactivity-in-Response-to-Food-Desire-24582
- Learn to label your feelings. It has been shown by research, that by labeling what we are experiencing in the moment, this lessens our emotional reactivity to the stressor. All of our feelings have needs, so by tuning into your feeling, you can tune into what you need. When we feed our need, the craving is usually diminished.
- Surf the Urge. We have many different desires all day long, but if we acted on each one, we would be two year olds, not well meaning mature adults. If you really want something (sex, those new shoes, food, etc.) notice the desire and then just ask, “Can I be with this desire for 20 minutes?” Yes, of course you can. Practice waiting and if you still want it 20 minutes later, then go for it. What normally happens is the original desire isn’t so captivating anymore and passes. Then we want something else.
Would you like to be held accountable, have more support, and create real shifts in your relationship to food, eating, and your body? Yes!
Come and join us in the Mindfully Nourished digital course. We are ALL practicing mindfulness as it relates to eating, nutrition, cravings, and learning how to change our habits for good.
With Love,
Carley
