This is the last part of my 3 part series about dealing with urges to binge eat.
This is all about not giving in to your urges and so far I’ve talked about referring to the thoughts the binge urge creates as brain junk and choosing to think thoughts that will take power away from the urge.
Today is about feelings.
Two reasons why you give in to urges are because of your thinking, as I mentioned in Part 1 and 2, and because its uncomfortable not to.
You feel extremely uncomfortable while the urge is present and the only way you know how to relieve yourself of that discomfort is to give the urge what it wants – a binge.
But there’s another option here.
Sit with the discomfort until the urge passes.
Like with the thoughts, there are feelings the urge creates and feelings you create.
You are in charge of your feelings created by your thinking, but you don’t really have control over the feeling the urge creates. That one you just have to experience so it’s important to make sure the thoughts you’re choosing to think are creating a neutral or calm feeling.
The urge is already making you feel uncomfortable, you don’t need to make it worse by thinking thoughts that are just going to cause more uncomfortable feelings.
So you’re ignoring the urge thoughts, thinking thoughts that creating a neutral or calm feeling, and now you just allow the urge to be there.
Be uncomfortable until it passes, and it will pass.
How long it will take can vary – minutes, hours, it’s up to you and how you react.
It’s really important to not get worked up or try and fight the urge, that’s just going to make it louder and stronger and last longer.
Instead, you want to notice it and observe it without any kind of reaction.
I know its uncomfortable to sit with the urge to binge, but let’s be real here. The feeling you have after you binge is worse, both physically and emotionally.
So while you’re feeling uncomfortable, think about what’s on the other side of that discomfort.
How amazing it will feel to not binge!
Once the urge passes, you get to celebrate! And tell me about it so I get to celebrate with you!
Be uncomfortable with the urge, it’s worth it.
