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What to do when a craving hits: 15 things that take 10 minutes

· Not medical advice

A craving feels like it will last until you give in. For many people it doesn’t: it builds, peaks and fades. The trick is to give it ten minutes and something to do with your hands while it passes.

Why ten minutes?

Ten minutes is short enough to say yes to, even in the middle of a strong urge. You’re not promising never; you’re promising to wait ten minutes and then decide. Often, by the time the ten minutes are up, the moment has moved on. If it hasn’t, you can do another ten.

15 things that take about ten minutes

  1. Drink a big glass of cold water, slowly.
  2. Take a shower, or just wash your face with cold water.
  3. Walk around the block without your phone.
  4. Text or call someone. It doesn’t have to be about this.
  5. Make tea, properly: boil the water, wait, steep.
  6. Eat something with crunch: an apple, carrots, toast.
  7. Do ten minutes of stretching, or follow a short video.
  8. Tidy one small thing: a drawer, a shelf, the sink.
  9. Put on two songs you love, loud, and do nothing else.
  10. Write down what you’re feeling and what set it off.
  11. Step outside and count five things you can hear.
  12. Chew gum or suck on a mint.
  13. Start cooking something, even just chopping for tomorrow.
  14. Play one round of a game you like.
  15. Breathe slowly: in for four, hold for four, out for six, for a few minutes.

Pick two or three you like and keep them ready, so you don’t have to think when it hits.

Know your triggers

Cravings often come at the same times: after work, after dinner, when you’re bored, with certain people. Once you know yours, you can plan for them, like being out of the house at the usual time for the first few days. More on that in our 7-day plan.

If you give in

It happens. It’s a detour, not the end of the trip. Start again the next morning and keep what worked.

Pull over

Mile Zero has this built in. When a craving hits, tap “Pull over” and you get a ten-minute countdown with one simple thing to do. It follows you to the Lock Screen, so you can put the phone down and still see how long is left.