Mindfulness Practices to Manage Cravings and Triggers
A large part of recovery is learning new ways to respond to difficult emotions, situations, and cravings–substance-free. One of the most effective in-the-moment tools for this is, you guessed it: mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the practice of bringing your full attention to the present moment—without judgment. It helps create space between a craving and your reaction to it, allowing you to take time to acknowledge the trigger or craving and respond intentionally rather than impulsively. Mindfulness also teaches you to sit with discomfort without needing to escape it, allowing you to observe your cravings without giving in to them while simultaneously strengthening your emotional regulation and, over time, bringing you inner peace.
Here are three practical mindfulness exercises you can use anytime and anywhere a craving or trigger arises:
1. Deep Breathing (3 - 5 Minutes)
When a craving hits, your body enters a state of stress or urgency–also known as your fight or flight response. Deep breathing slows your heart rate and activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and help you make decisions surrounding your cravings from a place of calm.
Try This:
Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 counts.
Hold your breath for 4 counts.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 6 counts.
Repeat for 2 - 5 minutes, trying to focus solely on your breath—noticing how the air feels going in and out.
Notice how you feel. Has your heart rate slowed? Are your eyes more focused? Is your body less tight?
Next, bring your attention back to the trigger or craving. Can you offer yourself a replacement ‘treat’ such as a non-alcoholic beverage, your favorite chocolate bar, or a small ‘impulse buy’ to reward yourself for not giving in?
Related: Your Ultimate Stress-Relief Tool: Breath
2. Body Scans
The stress of an oncoming craving can show up as tension in the body. A body scan helps you identify where you’re holding stress, bringing awareness and calm to those areas, and subsequently reducing the intensity of the craving.
Try This:
Sit or lie down comfortably.
Start by focusing on your feet, noticing any sensations (tightness, warmth, numbness).
Slowly move your attention upward, body part by body part, all the way to the top of your head.
As you notice tension, imagine sending calming breaths toward that area and focus on relaxing it. Having trouble relaxing? Start by squeezing the muscles in any areas you feel tension before releasing that tension and picture those areas melting into relaxation.
Notice how you feel. Are you less tight? Less stressed? Feeling the craving or trigger less intensely?
Now, bring your attention back to the trigger or craving. What can you do in the next 5 minutes to further calmly remove your attention from it? For example, can you chew your favorite flavor of gum, call a friend or family member for accountability, or go for a walk around the neighborhood?
Related: Identifying Your Personal Triggers
3. 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique
This 1-minute grounding method uses your senses to bring you back to the present moment and out of racing thoughts or intense urges.
Try This:
Identify 5 things you can see (name them in your head as you look around)
Identify 4 things you can feel (your feet on the floor, hands on your lap)
Identify 3 things you can hear (the wind, a clock ticking, distant traffic)
Identify 2 things you can smell
Identify 1 thing you can taste or can imagine tasting (that’s not related to your substance craving)
Now, take a moment to identify what you need to do to remove yourself from the situation that is triggering your craving. Do you need to step out of the restaurant? Excuse yourself from the backyard BBQ? Or drive home or to a friend's house?
Related: Common Relapse Warning Signs & What To Do About Them
A final note: You are not your cravings. They are passing experiences—not facts, not failures, and not permanent. By practicing mindfulness, you learn to identify your cravings without judgement, noticing them without giving in, and riding out the wave until the urge passes or lessens—which it will.
Interested in learning more skills to help you manage triggers and cravings? Better understand yourself and identify and manage your emotions? Our Equine-Assisted Learning Program helps individuals learn essential life skills for success in recovery, including: healthy relationship building, effective communication, problem solving, deeper focus, understanding body language, leadership, self-awareness, and more.
Written by Liz Haas, Recovery Resources Digital Marketing & Outreach Specialist
