3541: How to Overcome Unhealthy Cravings When You're Feeling Down by Brigid Elsken Galloway with Tiny Buddha on Mindful Eating

[00:00:01] Fall never arrives all at once. First the air, then the light, and slowly the things you love begin to find each other. A jacket meets a dress, a hoodie slips beneath a blazer, an old cap finds a new scarf. Because you don't simply step into the season, you create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall. Find fall your way at Ross.

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[00:00:56] Read PG-13. This is Optimal Health Daily. How to overcome unhealthy cravings when you're feeling down. By Brigid Elsken Galloway with tinybuddha.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Happy Saturday, thank you so much for being here and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I act as your narrator of the best health and fitness blogs all for free. And don't forget, we have a few shows where we do this, covering a bunch of topics.

[00:01:25] Just search for Optimal Living Daily in any podcast app to find them. And with that, let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. How to overcome unhealthy cravings when you're feeling down. By Brigid Elsken Galloway with tinybuddha.com. Quote, Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts. Buddha

[00:01:54] As a kid, I was taught that the devil tempted us to do evil deeds. When I had the urge to do something naughty, I imagined a pitchfork-totin' demon whispering into my ear. He'd encourage me to steal that Hershey bar from 7-Eleven. Or lie to my mom when she asked if I'd finished my homework. Today, I don't believe in the existence of the devil. But I do believe my doubts and fears can appear to be downright devilish. If I give in to their whisperings.

[00:02:21] But what if these discursive thoughts aren't evil after all? What if we need our cravings and impulses to help us see the truth in our lives and push past negative patterns? Recently, I had the chance to test this theory when my book manuscript was rejected by a major publisher. I'd poured my heart into those pages and anxiously waited for weeks only to receive a standard, thanks but no thanks reply.

[00:02:48] After years of work, in an instant, my hopes were crushed and I was swamped with doubt and self-pity. Soon, my disappointment turned into indignation. How dare that editor reject my work? I began typing a hateful email. But thankfully, I stopped short of clicking send. Rather than write something I'd regret, I strapped on my sneakers and went for a power walk. When I'm in a sour mood, walking usually helps me clear my head.

[00:03:18] But even on that crisp, sunny fall day, a black cloud of dissatisfaction hovered over me. Thoughts of failure invaded my mind. With every footstep, my negative thoughts grew. Then, I smelled an all-too-familiar aroma. I glanced over and saw a man smoking a cigarette on his front porch. That scent wrapped around my brain and triggered a thought. If you have a smoke, you'll feel better.

[00:03:45] I haven't smoked in more than three years, but somewhere in my mind, a familiar longing stirred. I began smoking during college when I felt insecure. Over the years, anytime I felt lonely or upset, when my marriage was troubled or my career was threatened, I stepped outside and lit up a cigarette. Even years after successfully kicking that bad habit, the associative power between my unhappiness and nicotine was still strong. The tempting thought swirled in my brain.

[00:04:14] Bum a smoke from your neighbor. No one will know. Thankfully, enough time had passed since I quit, and I could view my desire to smoke with objectivity. But rather than push it aside, I entertained the thought. That's so interesting, I said to my former addicted self. You haven't craved a cigarette in years, and now you're upset and bam! You have a craving. In truth, even the part of me that used cigarettes for comfort didn't really want to smoke again.

[00:04:42] Addicted me knew the reality. Tobacco tastes bitter, and the smoke burns my throat and makes me feel c***y. Not to mention all the horrible diseases it causes. The urge to smoke was just a thought. An unhealthy one at that. A moment later, the urge was gone. But craving that cigarette, which was once so intoxicating to me, provided a wonderful way to be present with what was happening to me physically and emotionally. In other words, the urge to smoke became a signal,

[00:05:11] encouraging me to explore what it was I really needed. So what bedevils you? The next time you're tempted to give in to an unhealthy urge, try this practice. Observe the feeling. The craving wants your attention, so give it what it needs, for a limited time. Observe, but don't indulge. Become curious about the nature of your thought. What does the feeling want you to do or say?

[00:05:39] When did you first feel this craving? Why is it prompting you toward an unhealthy response today? What triggered the craving? Are you really hungry? Or do you feel angry, sad, or lonely? If the latter, what might you do to take care of the feeling without indulging in an unhealthy habit? Entertain the thought. Rather than push it away, make a place for it in your heart. Address the thought or emotion as you would to a dear friend or child. Hello, disappointment.

[00:06:08] I recognize you. You're afraid of not being acknowledged, but I see you. This is what therapists call self-talk. Listen deeply to the need. At the heart of every craving is an unmet need. The need itself may not be bad or wrong, but how you take care of it can be. Rather than fill that void with a negative habit or unhealthy choice, consider what it is you really lack. In my case, I needed acknowledgement and support.

[00:06:38] When I returned from my walk, I called a trusted friend and fellow writer and allowed her to cheer me up. Then we brainstormed ideas about other potential publishers for my book. Treat yourself and others with compassion. Ultimately, as I walked that day, I became aware of my weaknesses and my strengths. Each time I breathed in and smelled the cigarette smoke, I breathed out gratitude that my addiction no longer had me in its grip. And rather than beat myself up for feeling what I felt,

[00:07:07] I used the experience to generate empathy for my neighbor. Maybe he was struggling with anxiety or loneliness too. In the end, my craving can become my worst enemy or a good friend. When I seek the truths that rise out of difficult situations, a seeming loss can turn into a win. If I'm aware and healthy, I might even be able to learn something very valuable and transform a negative habit into the means for healthy self-discernment.

[00:07:39] You just listened to the post titled, How to Overcome Unhealthy Cravings When You're Feeling Down by Brigid Elsken Galloway with tinybuddha.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Now, it's just me and a small team behind this show. So I get how much the right hire matters. When you need the right person, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Stop struggling to get your job post even seen on other sites. Sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed

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[00:08:37] Just go to indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Fall never arrives all at once. First the air, then the light. And slowly the things you love begin to find each other. A jacket meets a dress.

[00:09:06] A hoodie slips beneath a blazer. An old cap finds a new scarf. Because you don't simply step into the season. You create it layer by layer until it finally feels like fall. Find fall your way at Ross. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. First, I want to thank today's author, Bridget, for allowing us to share their story. Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult habits to break.

[00:09:34] So congratulations on being able to maintain this even when tempted. That also speaks to how well today's author's suggestions actually work. If they can use these same techniques to stop smoking and continue to do so in the face of temptation, we know these suggestions are likely pretty darn good. All right, that'll do it for today. I hope you're having a great weekend if you're listening in real time. And I'll see you back here tomorrow for the Sunday show

[00:10:03] and where your optimal life awaits.