Ride Your Waves of Cravings Like a Pro
Cravings come like waves in the ocean – nothing can stop them.
Food cravings, especially for sugar, can be challenging. You sometimes might feel entirely out of control, as if you are not in charge of your food decisions. Fortunately, it’s still you who makes the calls.
Cravings come like waves in the ocean – nothing can stop them. And, indeed, you don’t have control over those waves of desire. However, you control how you respond to your cravings. You can learn to ride those waves onto the shore. That’s your opportunity to weaken the waves.
And pretty soon, your cravings will get more manageable, less frequent, and not as intense. Eventually, with time and patience, you’ll even find yourself completely free from your craving.
The RAIN technique can help you learn to first reduce and then eliminate your compulsive desire to eat something sweet.
Apply it whenever you catch yourself craving something.
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First, RECOGNIZE that the craving is coming. Take five slow breaths to RELAX into it.
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Since you have no control over the craving coming, ACKNOWLEDGE and ACCEPT it as it is. Find your way of doing it. For example, you can say, "here we go, or here it comes," or nod your head. Don't ignore or try to control it; don't resist or avoid it; don't try to do something about it.
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To catch the wave of your craving, study it carefully. INVESTIGATE it while it builds. Ask yourself: "What does my body feel like right now?" See what arises, what comes to you.
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NOTE the experience as you follow it. And keep it simple by using short phrases or words: thinking, restless, rising sensation, the tension in my tummy, etc. Continue doing it until it completely subsides. If you get distracted, bring yourself back to the question, "What does my body feel like right now?"
See if you can ride it until it’s completely gone. Ride your wave of craving to shore.
Ph.D. Judson Brewer describes the RAIN technique in detail in his book The Craving Mind.