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.)

****************

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.)

****************

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.)

****************

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

****************

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!

[Giulia]

wdamms  Count blue cars.  Red cars.  White cars.  Cows on the side of the road.  No, better not to count the cows, would have to take your eyes off the road for too long.  Count people on cells phones, mile markers, mph signs.   Play your favorite music and sing along loudly.  Chant a mantra:  "Nope Nope I'm no Dope!  When a craving comes around, turns my smile into a frown, I just say NOPE!

[Deb-EX]

OMG, loveeeee !! Nope, I'm not a dope

[Kamella]

This is the absolute best, I love it! Thank you for teaching me the NOPE! song! Nope, I can cope and I’m no dope! 

[Giulia]

You just do a sing along with me on that video when you have a craving.  You ain't not dope!

[CommunityAdmin]

Giulia (I mean Marsha )‌ EX never ceases to surprise me as it has some Musicians‌, Artists‌, actors and maybe even some celebrities.  It's great to see talents come together!

Mark
EX Community Manager

[smokenomorelpj]

Great song! Great voice as well.

Lewis 

[Giulia]

Thanks, Lewis

[Mandolinrain]

Just seeing this! Awesome Giulia! Would be so fun to jam with you and JonesCarpeDiem ...maybe one day

[LibbyD01]

that was an awesome exercise!! thank you for that 😃 .......I'm going to teach that lesson to my girls!!

[MarilynH]

I've never seen this before it's great! I wonder how aztec, I hope you are doing well and can drop in to say hello.....