Sometimes, when a craving comes on, it comes on STRONG. You can’t stop it.
You’re just sitting there, and suddenly, there’s nothing that you want in this world more than a bacon-wrapped hot dog.
But scientists, those great people always on the lookout for ways to make us healthier, may have finally found a way around this.
This technique can fight urges for food, sex, sleep, and maybe even drug addiction.
So what is it?
Believe it or not, it’s Tetris. ##MN_RESP##
This recent study, published in a journal aptly titled “Addictive Behaviors,” found that because cravings generally pass pretty quickly, a few rounds of Tetris is about all it takes to get past it.
The participants in the study carried around an iPod Touch for a week, and were told to check in with researchers when they felt a craving. After checking in, half of them played Tetris. These participants experienced a 20% decrease in cravings over the week.
Cravings are actually super complex. It requires intense focus, because your brain really wants to think about that one thing you’re craving. But Tetris helps your brain focus on something else, something that takes a lot of mental work to focus on. This distracts from your craving and before you know it, you don’t have it anymore.
Any game that has a puzzle aspect in its gameplay or is highly visual will work just as well. If you don’t have an electronic device on hand (good for you!) working with clay works as well.
