Craving Buster Technique

[Giulia]

(Note:  this piece was first published in a blog by @aztec  back in 2012 called  Craving - EX Community    The original author april_ac was from another site.  Thank you Aztec for bringing it here!)

We interupt todays broadcast..for a test! (TRY THIS!)

Ok...especially you newbies...I want you to REALLY try this.

Don't give me that "AWWW Man!!" It's not a hard test!! More of an "exercise"!

I want you to stop what you are doing right now....and look around the room. Look at everything. Take your time. (Don't read any further until you do that.)

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Now...I want you to look around the room AGAIN...and this time find all of the things that are RED. FOCUS on the things that are RED. REALLY look at them! (Don't read any further until you do that.)

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This time....look around and find all of the things that are BLUE. Again...FOCUS on only the stuff that is Blue. REALLY look at them! (Don't read any further until you do that.)

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Now....look around the room ONE more time. (Don't read any further until you do that.)

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Did the things that were Red and BLUE stand out to you the most?? Probably! Know why? Because THAT is what you were FOCUSING on!

Do ya see where I'm going with this??

WHATEVER you focus on the MOST....is what will be stronger...stand out more....become MORE dominate. JUST LIKE CRAVINGS!! If you FOCUS for too long on the craving...it GETS STRONGER.

So...SHIFT your focus AWAY from the craving!

What do you mean you can't do that....that it's too hard??? You just DID IT in that little mental exercise a minute ago!!! How much were you focusing on smoking while you were looking around the room...focusing on the Red and Blue stuff?? Probably not much...if at ALL!

It DOES work.

While I don't crave cigarettes anymore...I do have other areas of my life where I use that exercise. Sometimes it's needed to RE-focus on the GOOD things I have...when I'm feeling down. It gets my mind AWAY from the "pity party" state.

Make this work for you. It's your quit....It's your life.

And it's worth fighting for!

Thanks for playing along!! You may now go back to your regularly scheduled programs!

[DougWillis]

Wow, You have such great perspective! Thanks for sharing your insight and techniques and for taking the time to enlighten us ! 

[brownieind]

I always get up and do something that I involves using my hands so they will be busy and occupied

[ushie]

That's a great exercise and diversion. I keep fixating on all the damage I have done to my body over the course of my 40 year smoking history regretting the fact that I didn't quit sooner yet here I am smokefree for 148 days. This is a great way to break my fixation. Thanks!

[SuzyQ411]

Thanks again for this post @Giulia ; I have used this exercise many times when craving or when I am in a state of anxiety and / or worry which have been past triggers for relapse. And I keep on keepin' on as I march towards my two years free as of June 1, 2024!

[Tristan1227]

Thanks i will try this

[Giulia]

@Tristan1227   It works!  And you can alter it by looking for all the round things, or triangular things in your space.  Or focus on another sense: like what you're phsically feeling right now.  Your fanny on the chair, the shoe that's a little too tight, the bit of breeze from the fan.  Change it again:  what do you hear?  A dog barking, the radio playing, a text message coming in, the kettle whistling, the cat purring.... Change it again - eat something, s.l.o.w.l.y.  Smell it first, what kind of texture does it have?  What color is it?  What shape, how heavy is it?   Etc. etc., etc.  Each one of these sense exercises, if you REALLY FOCUS ON THEM, will flash you away from craving.  Once you get used to doing this, you'll discover you don't really need any of those things to get through a craving.  All you need to do is focus and think about something else.  And "poof" - craving gone.  

CHARGE ON!

[Dawnladgross]

I get so over whelmed stressed with all of it. 

[Giulia]

Do you mean with quitting, or with using this stress-buster technique?  @Dawnladgross  I'm assuming you mean with the cravings.  Tell us a little about yourself, if you'd like, and we can perhaps better direct you.  Is this the first time you've quit?  If not, what have you tried in the past to overcome cravings?

[AmeMonzel44_]

I thank you for this, I like the way I was feeling after taking my mind off of smoking. The blue color is what I gravitated towards the most. It was so relaxing.

[Giulia]

Glad you found it helpful.  Use what works.  When something stops working, find something else or create it yourself.  Experiment.  It helps  to challenge ourselves during this quitting process and keeps goals active.  Cheers!