We have written before about how mindfulness can help reduce cravings.
Indeed, mindfulness cannot only help with cravings, but it can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and reduce high blood pressure. It also seems to help with asthma, pain, and fibromyalgia. Personally I found that a mindfulness practice significantly reduced my blood pressure from borderline high to consistently in the healthy range.
And there are many ways to practice mindfulness. Trying different methods and sticking with the one that seems right to you is the best way to develop a consistent mindfulness practice.
Ironically, one of the biggest challenges to practicing mindfulness is remembering to do it. Certainly having a regular time to practice helps. But, it can be a good habit to practice just about any time, and one can benefit from being mindful for only a few moments. So why not use challenging situations through the day as a reminder to be mindful.
If there is a situation that you find annoying, or you notice you are feeling bored, distracted, or experiencing a craving, try to use that as a trigger, a reminder, to be mindful. Notice how you’re feeling, then choose to instead attend to your place of mindfulness: notice your breath, be aware of your surroundings, scan your body for tension, relax your shoulder or forehead. Triggers, like the cues to smoke, need not be a bad thing to be avoided. A trigger can be an opportunity to develop the good habit of mindfulness.
Michael V. Burke, Ed.D
Program Director and NDC Counselor/ CTTS
