One Simple Hack To Fight Cravings

What’s your addiction? Maybe you have more than one! I know I have. I have wrestled with addiction most of my adult life.

Whatever you’re struggling with one of the biggest challenges is what to do with cravings. And I’m going to show you one of the ways I handle my own cravings.

Ultimately, it comes down to a couple simple things. Keep in mind, simple and easy are very different. Simple just means simple. Picking something up off the ground is a very simple movement pattern. You’re at the gym and grab a pair of 10 pound dumbbells off the ground. That’s a simple move and very easy too. Now what if we 10X’ed those dumbbells. Still simple. Pick them up off the floor but the level of ease is significantly different.

And so it goes for handling cravings. This simple hack can be easy or it could be incredibly heavy for you just based on where you’re at with your addiction.

Craving’s are strong, let’s not hide that fact. I smoked cigarettes for nearly 15 years. Last one was in May of 2002 and you know what, I still get cravings. When you read my book (or listen to the audible) How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, I talk about the agony of those first 3 days of not having a cigarette. I was going out of my mind. Skin crawling, teeth grinding, fist clenching out of my effing mind.

Here’s what I did first to fight cravings to smoke…

I recognized that all I have is a craving. An urge. It’s a feeling and I am separate from it. I am under no obligation to act on the craving, the urge, the desire to smoke. Think of all the urges we get that we don’t act on. If you acted on every urge you had how look would it take before you were doing 25 to life?

Why are you giving the urge any more power? Sure you’ve succumbed in the past but that’s where that is. In the past. Where are you? You’re in the now. Or at least I hope you are. Because when you’re not present, you’re way more vulnerable for a relapse. You’re acting like the old you. The new you, the future you doesn’t do that.

So when you get a craving, recognize two things and then say this:

An urge is not a command that you have to act on. You are about to make a decision.
You’re stuck in the past because the new you and the future you doesn’t do that.

“I don’t need that right now.”

Whatever that is for you. Cigarettes, beer, Jack Daniels, caffeine, dark chocolate covered almonds, coke zero, cocaine, ice cream… whatever.

I. Don’t. Need. This. Right. Now.

Period. Because you don’t. Say it as many times are you need to until the urge subsides because it will. Because it has. Because it does. You are the pilot, not your addiction. And anyone trying to tell you you’re not in control is either misinformed or a pharmaceutical sales rep.

Man has had free will since day one. You chose your addiction and now you’re choosing to change for the better. Be present. In this moment where you don’t need your addiction. Look at the future version of yourself where you’re stronger than your addiction and be that person in this present moment.

Simple, right? But definitely not easy. But definitely it also works when you stay with it long enough for it to work.

Will you try this? What has worked for you in the past? Throw me some feed back…