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Cravings are a natural physiological part of being human. Often times we can crave things that are destructive for us. If we are an addict, or tend to be impulsive, we get strong and frequent cravings. Focusing on our craving, or giving into it, can turn it into a habit.

Being able to override a craving is essential to managing addictions and unwanted habits.

So many of us have never been taught effective skills to manage our impulsive thoughts and cravings.

Many of my impulsive clients have sincere desires to stop  unwanted habits, but have not been given the skills to successfully override their impulses. Fortunately this can be taught.

Having effective strategies to practice gives us power and hope to manage our cravings and habits.

One effective strategy to practice during a craving, is to temporarily distract yourself by;

·          taking a walk

·         journaling  your feelings

·         listening to a song

·         talking to another person

·         reading an article

·         visualizing yourself not participating with your unwanted habit

It is important to remember that a craving is very short-term. It can last anywhere from a few seconds to  a few minutes. Impulsive people tend  to have more successes knowing that they only have to do something difficult for  a couple of minutes at a time, verses telling themselves they have to do something difficult for a large block of time. We call this ‘micro movements to success.’

Reinforcing your successes by encouraging yourself, rather than focusing on the times you have given into a craving, is another effective strategy that I will elaborate on in next month’s article.

Look for my book, Good Things Addiction, Emotional Healing Journal, scheduled for publication in 2010. It has 15 effective strategies to manage addictions and unwanted habits.

Elisabeth Davies, MC