Managing Cravings: Learning to Ride the Wave
- Category: Mindfulness
- October 1, 2024
A Reminder to Practice Managing Cravings and Impulsivity
Take control of your cravings and automatic behaviors by steering them in a direction that serves you better. Whether it’s reaching for a late-night snack or reacting impulsively, these habits can feel hard to manage. But there’s a simple technique that can help you take charge and make more mindful choices: ‘Ride the Wave.’ This technique involves pausing, breathing, and becoming more aware of what’s happening inside your mind and body. Managing cravings becomes easier when you give yourself the space to choose your response rather than automatically reacting.
The Power of the Pause When Managing Cravings
Start by doing something simple: pause. Life moves fast, and our minds often race even faster, jumping from one thought to the next without giving us a chance to catch our breath. The first step in “Ride the Wave” is to pause and center yourself by focusing on your breath.
Take a moment to notice what it feels like as air fills your lungs or belly. Feel the rise and fall of your chest, the gentle expansion of your abdomen. This is your time to just be. There’s nothing else you need to do, nowhere else you need to be right now. Just breathe.
Grounding Through Your Senses
If focusing on your breath feels overwhelming—maybe because your mind is racing or your emotions are too intense—there’s another way to center yourself: ground yourself through your senses, particularly your sense of touch. Notice your feet on the floor. Feel the solidness beneath you. This simple act of paying attention to your feet can act as an anchor, helping you stay present in the moment.
Your breath or your feet can serve as a kind of home base, something to return to whenever you feel the pull of your thoughts or cravings. It’s a way to remind yourself that you are here, now, in this moment.
Become a Witness to Your Thoughts
The most challenging part of this practice is becoming a witness to your thoughts rather than a reactionary participant. Our minds are like busy highways with thoughts zooming by constantly. Often, we don’t even realize when a thought has turned into an action until it’s too late. For example, a thought like, “I need that ice cream, I deserve it,” can quickly lead to standing in front of the freezer, spoon in hand.
The key here is to watch your thoughts without acting on them immediately. Imagine you’re sitting by a train track, and your thoughts are the trains passing by. You don’t need to jump on every train. Instead, just watch them go by. You might notice thoughts like, “I’m stressed, I need a snack,” or “I should really check my phone right now.” Rather than reacting, just observe these thoughts as if they were clouds drifting across the sky.
This doesn’t mean you can’t have the ice cream or check your phone. The point is to give yourself the space to choose rather than react out of habit. By becoming a witness to your thoughts, you empower yourself to make decisions that align with your true needs and values, rather than being driven by automatic behaviors.
The Freedom of Choice
“Ride the Wave” is about giving yourself the freedom to choose. After observing your thoughts, you might decide to go ahead and have that ice cream—but now it’s a choice, not a reaction. Or maybe you’ll realize that what you really need isn’t ice cream but a walk outside, a chat with a friend, or just some quiet time to unwind.
This practice isn’t about denying yourself or fighting against your cravings. It’s about creating a little space between the thought and the action, giving yourself a moment to breathe, to ground, and to choose. Over time, this can lead to healthier habits, less impulsivity, and a greater sense of control over your actions.
Make “Ride the Wave” a Part of Your Routine
The beauty of “Ride the Wave” is that it can be as long or as short as you need it to be. Maybe you only have a minute to pause and breathe, or maybe you can spend five minutes grounding yourself and observing your thoughts. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. The important thing is to make it a regular part of your routine.
You might find it helpful to practice “Ride the Wave” at certain times of the day when you’re more likely to experience cravings or impulsivity. For some, that might be late at night, after a long day. For others, it could be during a stressful moment at work or when faced with a challenging situation.
The more you practice, the easier it will become to pause, breathe, and make mindful choices. And remember, it’s okay if you don’t get it perfect every time. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress.
Final Thoughts: Managing Cravings and Impulsivity
“Ride the Wave” is a gentle yet powerful practice that can help you navigate the ups and downs of cravings, impulsivity, and automatic behaviors. By pausing, grounding, and becoming a witness to your thoughts, you create the space needed to make more mindful choices.
So, the next time you feel the pull of a craving or the urge to react impulsively, ride the wave. Take a deep breath, feel your feet on the ground, and watch your thoughts pass by. You might just find that the wave isn’t as overwhelming as it first seemed.
Remember, you’re not alone on this journey. We’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether it’s through practices like “Ride the Wave” or other tools and resources, we’re committed to helping you cultivate a healthier, more mindful life.
And if you ever need more guidance or support, don’t hesitate to reach out. Sometimes, just talking it through with someone who understands can make all the difference.
