The Why's and Wherefore's of a chocolate habit

This week's newsletter covered the subject of 'self-destruct' - the notion that we all do things that we know are bad for us! I have created a worksheet for looking at the why's and wherefore's of a bad habit, and I thought I'd work through it myself:

1. What are you getting from this bad habit? (aim for at least 5 answers. )
A nice taste
Comfort
Something to do with my hands
Something to do with my mouth
I avoid feeling when I’m hitting chocolate
An energy ‘fix’
2. What is it costing you? (not just money, peace of mind, relationship, health etc)
Energy (ironically!)
Health – it lies on my hips
Peace of mind, because I’m constantly arguing with myself about whether to have chocolate
I’m embarrassed about it, and I hide it from my family (oh, the shame!)
If I go anywhere, I have to have a chocolate ‘fix’ with me
3. What are you afraid would happen if you didn’t do this anymore?
I’d become a puritan (if you only knew how ridiculous that answer is!)
4. What would you miss most if you gave it up?
That first taste of lovely chocolate!
5. What would be better if you gave it up?
I wouldn’t be surrounded by empty wrappers, I’d not be heckling myself for doing it, my weight would probably stabilise, my energy would be higher and more consistent, I wouldn’t have to think about being embarrassed about it or taking it with me on holiday!!!
6. For each of the answers to question 1, think of 3 other ways you could get that? A nice taste -> cheese, apples, chicken and white wine soup
Comfort -> a blanket, a hug, cup a soup
Something to do with my hands -> doing a jigsaw, knit, play the piano
Something to do with my mouth -> sing, a dummy (!), boiled sweets
I avoid feeling when I’m hitting chocolate -> watch tv, work, play with the dog
An energy ‘fix’ -> nuts/fruit, exercise, sleep
7. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you want to ‘stop’ this bad habit? What would boost that score up the scale by 1? (and keep asking that question until it’s a 10!) If it’s less than a 7, chances are you will find it difficult, because you don’t want to!
6/10. What would boost it up to a 7 would be eating so much I was sick! (actually that would probably boost it to a 10) What would boost it to an 8 would be if the energy drop was more obvious. What would boost it to a 9 would be if I saw how bad it is for me. And a 10 would be if it made me poorly.
8. IF you don’t really want to stop, what would have to change for that to be ok? (EG for you to be happy with your ‘bad’ habit?)
For me to have less, and to be ok if I was staying with a friend and didn’t have any!
9. If you knew it would be easy to stop your bad habit (no cravings, no pain) would you?
Yes.
10. IF the answer to this question is yes, what would make it easier for you to stop?
Cut down bit by bit until I wouldn’t really notice if I stopped entirely. Noticing what need I'm trying to fill when I crave a piece of chocolate and checking if there's another way to do that before I go choca-barmy! Noticing the joy of the first bite...and when that joy stops, stopping eating!

Hmmm...I find that I can think of the piece of chocolate sitting in my drawer without craving it.

Interesting.

What 'bad' habits can you put through this wringer?

Love

Donna.x