What is the problem?
I’m going to start with addiction in general and then more specifically address Food Addiction.
Addiction is a chronic disconnection from ourselves. An addict cannot stand being in the present moment and/or does not know how to just be. So as addicts we don’t know how to release ourselves from the grips of our minds.
Parts of the Problem
So we have decided to change. We understand that we are not our minds and that our mind is in a pattern that creates pain for us and we choose food to numb the pain or in some cases numb the joy. What? What would we numb joy, well when you snuff out your life force by eating to excess, that’s exactly what you’re doing, but here’s why.
Another obstacle is when we first start to consciously pay attention to ourselves the whole day and not check out or disconnect, it’s exhausting. It is literally like babysitting a two year old who likes to get into shit. So what you’ll find is that you’ll switch onto autopilot throughout your day and get caught up in the old patterns of thought. It will take effort to pull yourself out of that mode and you’re not going to want to do it. So there is a period of adjustment. But, like most things in life, we start to adapt, we pull out an inner strength and then we get used to observing ourselves. After the initial resistance, you’ll find yourself more peaceful and satisfied, just by doing this action.
How to Fix the problem?
Myth: I can’t control myself around food. The food does not have power over you, you surrender your power to it and reinforce that power by believing you’re helpless over your actions. It just seems like you’re powerless or as I used to put it possessed, because the thought has won your attention. Think about Invasion of the Body Snatchers, that’s kind of what it feels like right?
This strong feeling starts to soften and go away the more time we spend with ourselves, getting to know as Michael Singer would put it, “Our inner roommate.”
These feelings of bodily pain, shame, or anxiety are just signals of our consciousness screaming out, hey, something is wrong. But rather than us taking a look at what thoughts are causing us to feel so terrible, we get food into our bodies as fast as we can to numb it out.
So how do we fix this problem?
Firstly, mindfulness in our everyday actions is a must. If we have a tendency to plow through everything in our day as a means to an end our life will feel like an endless sprint and a constant emergency. If we slow down and use everyday seemingly mundane activities as a chance to CONNECT WITH OURSELVES, we will soften more into the present moment.
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