Resisting Temptation

Hey guys!! How's it going? As you can see, the blog has a new format!!! I hope you guys like it! I'm hoping it will make the site easier to navigate and easier to find specific posts. Let me know what you guys think! Anyways, today we're going to be talking about temptation and how to resist it! Let's get into it.

I struggle A LOT with resisting temptation. For me, the temptation is food. I'm a huge overeater and its becoming a problem. This past week I decided that I needed to fix it. Whatever your temptation is, whether it's food, Netflix, your phone, desserts, bad habits, or anything else, it may seem as if the temptation is impossible to resist. Trust me, I've been there. After struggling greatly with this (and still struggling quite honestly), I want to share some tips with you guys that help me with resisting temptation.

First of all, lay out a plan. Breaking a temptation or bad habit can be very difficult, so it's important to give yourself a realistic plan on how to work with it. For example, give yourself a cheat day. It'll suck if you cut yourself off from something completely. You'll probably break down at some point, and when you give into the temptation, you'll come down on yourself. Instead of letting that happen, give yourself one day to break the habit. This will give you something to look forward to and will make it easier to stay on track for the rest of the week. Along with your cheat day, give yourself specific guidelines on what to do. For example, if you're trying to cut down the time you spend on social media, give yourself a certain amount of time you're allowed to spend on it instead of just saying "I'll use it less." You need a concrete plan as opposed to something abstract.

Second, get your temptation out of the way. It's way easier to be tempted when something is hanging in front of your face. So if you want to eat less dessert? Don't buy it. Want to spend less time on social media? Delete the apps from your phone. Find ways to hide it from your view. It's harder to be tempted by something when you can't see it.

Third, tie your resistance to something you'll gain. Tell yourself why you want to do it. Instead of saying, "I want to lose 5 pounds," say, "I want to be at a weight where I love my body." Instead of focusing what you'll lose by giving something up, think about what you'll gain. Maybe you'll gain body positivity or more free time, better grades or more sleep. Whenever a temptation is placed in front of you, focus more on what you'll gain by saying "no" instead of what you may lose. Chances are, accepting a temptation will give you temporary happiness, but may compromise long-term happiness. Think bigger picture. 

Giving up a temptation is difficult, but worth it in the long run. Think about what you can gain when you say no. Get the temptation out of your life. Believe it or not, as you give up the temptation for longer, it actually becomes easier because you're enforcing good habits that become routine. That's all I have for you guys today! When you're finished reading, I suggest you head over to the "Links" tab on the blog and try out the new "Vapor" meditation, which is especially awesome if you're feeling stressed!

​Thank you so much for reading!! See ya later! <3