Step 9
Visualize
Write down the vision and make it plain. (Habakkuk 2:2)
Science has shown that our thoughts influence our feelings and our behaviors. Therefore if you want to change the addictive behavior, you have to change your thoughts.
To do this, regularly visualize yourself free from engaging in the addictive behavior. As you do this, use all your senses to see, hear, taste, touch and feel yourself free from the addiction.
For instance, imagine yourself living a full day without engaging in the addictive behavior by answering the following questions:
1. What would I do from morning to evening?
2. Who would I do it with?
3. How would I feel?
To help bring your vision to life, create a vision board by cutting pictures from magazines that depict your addiction-free life. Paste these images on a board and hang it where you can see it every day to remind yourself of your vision of living free from the addictive behavior.
Ensure that you look at the vision board every day as you visualize yourself free from the addiction and believe that you can achieve you vision and live it.
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Practice Guided Imagery
Guided imagery is an effective relaxation technique which can also help you cope with the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior.
Guided imagery involves seeing yourself with your mind’s eye in the situation when you are most likely to engage in the addictive behavior and then envisioning yourself using various strategies to overcome the temptation.
For example after answering the question, “Who Do I Engage In The Addictive Behavior With?” if you cannot avoid that person (e.g. your spouse), visualize yourself with that person resisting the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior and doing something else with them instead.
After answering the question, “Where Do I Engage In The Addictive Behavior?” if you cannot avoid the place (e.g. your bedroom), visualize yourself in that place resisting the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior and doing something else instead.
After answering the question, “When Do I Engage In The Addictive Behavior?”, visualize yourself during that time resisting the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior and doing something else instead.
After answering the question, “What Do I Use To Engage In The Addictive Behavior?” if you cannot avoid those items (e.g. your laptop), visualize yourself with the item resisting the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior and doing something else.
After answering the question, “Why Do I Engage In The Addictive Behavior?” visualize yourself experiencing those feelings (e.g. feeling stressed) and resisting the temptation to engage in the addictive behavior by doing something else instead.
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