Subtitle: For the Moments That Feel Like Too Much Weight, like for many others, is a struggle for me. I love a sweet treat. I married into a family that loves sweet treats. Unsurprisingly, my toddler loves them too. I can fight it sometimes. Can I go healthy for a few meals? Sure. Eat healthy when I’m in a good mood and stress-free? Absolutely. But when it really matters is in the hard moments. When I’m irritated. Bored. Anxious. Then the cravings come. It can be tempting to just say, “Whatever, I deserve it. I need to let out a little steam. Hand over a pint.” And I let myself wallow in cookies and cream, along with a bag of Jelly Belly’s and an IBC cream soda. Francis from “Malcolm in the Middle,” eating ice cream Francis from “Malcolm in the Middle,” eating ice cream In the moment, it feels like the struggle won’t pass. That it would be easier if I just treat myself first. Something I learned for those situations is: hold out for just a little longer. Distract myself for a few more minutes. Do something else. Just see if that feeling is still around. And guess what? If I wait a little longer, the feeling often passes. And I don’t feel the need nearly as much. Not Just About Ice Cream Overeating is a common, safe example when it comes to sharing unhealthy habits or “temptations,” loosely speaking that is. There’s a plethora of others I could get into. Another common example is procrastination. Over this past weekend, I really really didn’t want to do anything. But I convinced myself, “Hey, just let yourself edit that course video. Not all of it, just a rough edit. If the feeling’s still there, then do whatever.” Fifteen minutes later, I found myself making great progress on the edit. And after that? I still used my time well and caught up on other work. You don’t need to feel like you’ve broken the habit “cold turkey.” Just that you can steer yourself away in those critical moments. Heaven knows I’m not perfect. I have habits I’m still kicking and trying to fix, just like most people. But I keep trying, and keep remembering to ask God for help. And when I’m able to get small wins, usually it’s by doing this. Just holding out for a little longer. This is big when breaking daily habits. Because it often convinces the mind, “Hey, I actually don’t need to do the thing as much as I thought.” And it becomes easier to resist next time. The habit is no longer as impulsive as you thought it was. Some other ways you can hold out for a little longer: message or call someone you trust to respond and can talk to. Not necessarily to talk about the bad habit, just that you can feel emotionally safe talking to. Exercise. In the words of Pirates of the Caribbean, “Take a walk.” Leave your devices at home if you want. listen to calming music. Avoid music that just reinforces the mood you’re in. Photo by timurrrr For the Bigger Stuff Sadly, the world at large is rife with stress and triggering things. Pick a comment section of any somewhat popular post. It’s rough out there. I remember seeing someone say that human brains are not built to be aware of an entire world’s worth of content, let alone your own country’s. As I get older, I couldn’t agree more. In the words of Man of Steel (hot take: very underrated movie), “Make [your world] smaller.” The world can feel like it’s collapsing. Just hold out a little longer. The sun will come out tomorrow.