SCIENCE, HEALTH
Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash
During week 1 of this blog series, we talked about awareness and how this simple state of mind can awaken us to the habits or addictions we partake in.
Using the tool of awareness, we can begin to get curious about what is really going on when we have urges towards addictive behaviors. We can then begin to understand WHY we partake in certain habits that we know are not supportive for us.
During week 2, we discussed the hack of ‘Habit Mapping’, and how to use this simple tool to build even more awareness around our addictions and cravings.
This week, we’re going a little deeper.
Mindfulness is a word that is thrown around a lot these days. I was a little confused about what it actually is.
Mindfulness is NOT a relaxation ‘mind-eraser’ technique where we try to stop our thoughts, figure things out, or get to a ‘Zen’ place. This is more a meditation practice.
Mindfulness is actually about changing our relationship to our thoughts and emotions. In this way, mindfulness helps to quieten down the network in our brain that is caught up in cravings and ruminations.
So, we can use mindfulness to hack our habit forming brains!
Habits, or addictions, have three parts:
We form our habits or addictions based on how rewarding they are. The more rewarding something is, the more likely we are to repeat that behavior.
The reward center in our brain likes to ‘rank’ things we do or consume in order of how big the reward is. For example, I might eat some cheap milk chocolate. It tastes good and sweet, so the brain remembers this as rewarding.
Then I might eat some decadent, dark chocolate with sea salt. This tastes amazing and I prefer it to the cheap milk chocolate, so the reward is much greater. Therefore the reward center in the brain remembers that this is preferable to me, so I then seek out dark chocolate with sea salt over the cheap milk chocolate.
If we mindlessly munch on something sweet, like the dark sea salt chocolate, then the reward is basic and we don’t notice it much. We get the reward, “Yum! I’m eating chocolate!” but then that’s it. The reward falls flat. So we keep eating more to chase the reward feeling.
If we shift our focus from mindlessness to awareness, then we become conscious of many more factors that go into the reward. For example, the flavor is complex, not just sweet. We might notice the texture and the scent, or how it feels in our mouth. This then becomes a lot more rewarding, and so we can eat less while gaining a bigger reward.
>> Click here to watch for more information on how to understand our habit-forming brain <<
Mindfulness helps us to pay attention to what is going on. So we can see the results or consequences of our behavior, therefore we can learn for next time.
For example, if we smoke cigarettes, mindfulness helps to bring the awareness that cigarettes don’t taste good, or feel good in our body. This realization decreases their reward value and so the behavior becomes less appealing.
A mindful attitude is one of curiosity. This brings a feeling of exploration and excitement from the observation or discovery.
For example, if you are a stress eater, then rather than giving into the urge to eat when stressed, instead explore it with curiosity.
Lean into the urge and investigate it.
Curiosity feels a heck of a lot better than the urge or craving. So the act of mindful curiosity becomes MORE rewarding than the original urge or craving.
A mindfulness practice for binge eating could be savoring each bite of food, rather than shoveling it in, or being curious about the urges and what they feel like in your body.
Our brain never gets bored with curiosity. It is rewarding to our brain, so we keep coming back for more.
Curiosity and self-compassion don’t harm us like some of the behaviors around addictions do. Self- kindness builds on itself and is good for us. Things like smoking cigarettes or binge eating wreak havoc on our body and mind over time.
Practicing these 3 steps to hack your addictions and cravings will, over time, help you to remove their power. This mindfulness practice will help you develop the skills to explore your habits and break them down so they become less rewarding.
Awareness is the key to this process. So get present, and get curious.
If you feel like you are suffering with addictions that you can’t manage. Know that you aren’t alone. Talk to a licensed Therapist, or look up community support groups in your area.
Here are some groups that can help:
Here at Relish Life we work with some of our members to tackle cravings and addictions. We have Health Coaches and trauma-informed Therapists that specialize in this area.
We have an abundance of free resources that you can tap into, including our free Facebook group, our Blogs and our Weekly Newsletters. If you’re ready to take the next step, join us on the other side and start Relishing Life.
Melissa is a British-born Health Coach who knows firsthand how difficult it can be to manage the emotions that surround weight. After decades of weight control and yo-yo dieting, Melissa studied to become a Health Coach and effectively coached herself through the process. Through learning how to eat intuitively, Melissa gained a new perspective and shifted her focus from ‘dieting’ to nourishment. She also learned how to recognize and address trauma and stress in her life. The stubborn weight she had held onto for years just melted away.
Melissa LOVES to help others figure out and conquer their own personal health and wellness goals. Following a life-long enthusiasm for alternative medicine, Melissa trained at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she received in-depth training in nutrition, health and wellness, and coaching skills.
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