One thing those who are getting sober want to avoid is a relapse. However, constant cravings can make it hard to kick a habit. That’s why it’s helpful to know some craving management methods. These techniques can help keep your cravings at bay and stay sober…
Craving Management: Helpful Techniques
Understand your cravings
A good way to start your craving management is by understanding them. When you feel cravings coming on, you may get frustrated or upset. Many people get upset because not just because they’re annoying to deal with, but also because they think they shouldn’t be experiencing.
The reality is cravings are a part of the process. They aren’t something that you alone are dealing with. Rather, everyone who is getting sober must grapple with them. Once you realize that you don’t need to beat yourself up over them, you can start to handle them with a much healthier mindset.
Keep yourself focused
Cravings can quickly take your focus off of everything else and make you obsess over them. This is why another important element of craving management is knowing how to keep your focus. By staying focused on things other than your cravings, you’ll find that it’s easier to beat them.
A good way to keep your focus is by doing some reaffirming thinking. Remind yourself that you’ve beat your cravings before, and you’ll continue to do so. Plus, by keeping yourself dedicated to what you’re already doing, you’ll find that those cravings will begin to take less and less precedence.
Have a distraction
What if you have a craving while you’re not doing anything? Having nothing to do can make craving management a bit harder than it normally is. Therefore, try to consider quick things you can do to distract yourself from your cravings in these situations.
For instance, maybe you have a hobby you enjoy tinkering with. When you feel a craving coming on, try to distract yourself by working on your hobby instead. That way, your focus shifts from your craving to your hobby instead. Going for a walk, calling a friend, and pretty much any other kind of simple distraction can work for when you need something to do while waiting for a craving to pass.
