Most of us think of addiction as something that only applies to substances. But if we’re honest, almost everyone is addicted to something: sugar, alcohol, shopping, porn, internet rabbit holes, phone checking, binge-watching, doom-scrolling, work, approval, distraction, or the fantasy that the next thing will finally make us feel okay. We want bigger houses, faster cars, fancier vacations, more likes on social media, but nothing ever seems to be enough. And these patterns don’t arise out of nowhere—they’re usually triggered by discomfort. The moment we feel pain, stress, boredom, loneliness, or any difficult emotion, the mind instinctively reaches for something to numb, soothe, or distract. The behavior does reduce discomfort—for a moment. This is the “reward” phase. The relief reinforces the behavior. Your brain learns: “When I feel this way, this is what I do to escape.” Over time, this becomes a habit loop that pulls us further away from well-being. Underneath all of these patterns is the same basic problem: we’ve forgotten how make ourselves feel good in a healthy way.

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) was originally developed to help people break free from addiction and chronic pain—but its core skills apply to anyone who feels stuck in habits that numb, soothe, or distract. And the best part? You don’t need a therapist to start using these tools. You can begin today, right where you are.

Below are simple, science-based practices that retrain your brain to experience more joy, more meaning, and more freedom from compulsive loops.

1. Working With Physical or Emotional Pain: Zoom In, Then Zoom Out

Pain—physical or emotional—is one of the biggest triggers for craving. When we hurt, we reach for something to make ourselves feel better. MORE teaches a radically different way of relating to pain that reduces suffering and prevents the spiral into self-medication.

Step 1: Zoom In (Shift from Affective to Sensory Processing)

Instead of resisting the pain, turn toward it with curiosity.

• Bring your attention directly into the painful area.

• Notice the raw sensations—pressure, heat, tingling, tightness.

• Describe the sensation without emotional labels.

• Look for the impermanence—does it pulse, flicker, move?

• Sense how the pain is porous and permeable, not a solid block.

• Find the tiny pockets inside the pain where there is no pain at all.

This shift, from “this is awful” to “this is just a sensation”, reduces the emotional load dramatically and actually turns down the volume of the pain in the brain.

Step 2: Zoom Out (Broaden Awareness and Gain Psychological Distance)

Once you’ve explored the pain up close, widen your attention.

Feel the rest of your body.

• Notice the areas that are neutral or even pleasant.

• Let your awareness include the room, the sounds, the air on your skin.

• Recall and appreciate the nonpainful, positive parts of your life.

• Sense how the painful experience becomes smaller in the context of the whole.

• Notice that who you really are is much better than any one thought or sensation.

Pain shrinks when it’s no longer the center of your attention.

2. The S.T.O.P. Practice: Interrupt the Urge to Reach for an Unhelpful Coping Behavior

Whether the urge is to scroll, shop, snack, drink, vape, lash out, shut down, or disappear into distraction, the STOP practice helps you to disrupt his automatic habit and pause long enough to choose something different.

This isn’t about willpower. It’s about creating a moment of awareness in the exact place where habit loops usually take over.

S — Stop

Pause before you act on the urge. Just a breath’s worth of space is enough to interrupt the autopilot sequence.

T — Take a Breath

Take a minute or two to breathe mindfully. Focus on the sensation of the breath moving into your nostrils. Notice the temperature of the air. Let your breath settle your body and quiet the mental noise.

O — Observe

Notice what’s happening inside you:

• your breath

• your thoughts

• your emotions

• the sensations in your body

• the pull of the urge

If your attention keeps jumping back to the thing you want to do—open the app, pour the drink, grab the snack—just acknowledge that pull and gently return to your breath. You may start to see the deeper meaning behind the urge: what you’re trying to escape, soothe, or avoid.

P — Proceed With Intention

Now choose your next step consciously. If you do choose to engage in the behavior, be aware that that action has consequences. Give the act the attention, respect, and awareness that it deserves.

You might still decide to engage in the behavior—or you might notice that the urge has softened enough that you don’t need to. Either way, you’re acting from awareness rather than compulsion and habit.

The purpose of STOP isn’t to force a particular outcome. It’s to help you wake up inside the moment where your life usually goes on autopilot.

3. Reappraisal: Change the Story, Change the Feeling

Pain—physical or emotional—isn’t just a sensation. It’s a meaning we attach to the sensation.

Reappraisal helps you shift that meaning.

Try this with any stressful moment:

• Notice the thought fueling the stress.

• Ask: “Is there a more helpful way to see this situation?”

• Offer yourself a more helpful interpretation: 

  • “This is hard, but I’ve survived harder.”

  • “This feeling is temporary.”

  • “This urge is my brain trying to protect me—not a command.”

• Feel the emotional shift that follows.

Reappraisal doesn’t deny reality—it gives you a more empowering one.

4. Savoring: Train Your Brain to Notice What’s Good

Once pain has softened and craving has settled, the mind becomes more receptive to joy. This is where savoring comes in.

Savoring strengthens the brain circuits that make natural rewards feel rewarding again.

Try this right now (60 seconds):

• Choose something pleasant—a beautiful flower, a cup of tea, a positive memory, the sound of a bird singing in a tree.

• Let your attention rest on it for a few breaths.

• Notice one detail you hadn’t seen before.

• Become aware of any positive feelings in your mind or body,

• Breathe that positive feeling into your chest as if you’re absorbing it like water seeping into soil.

This isn’t “the power of positive thinking.” It’s positive experiencing, and it rewires your reward system over time. Sanjay Gupta called this part of MORE a way to “turbo boost your gratitude.”

5. The 3-Minute MORE Reset

Here’s a simple daily routine anyone can do:

Minute 1: Mindful Breathing

Settle your nervous system. If you’re in physical and emotional pain, zoom in and out of it and then return to the breath.

Minute 2: Reappraisal

Shift the story. Choose a more helpful interpretation.

Minute 3: Savoring

Absorb something beautiful or meaningful. Breathe in the positive feelings deep inside you like water seeping into soil.

Three minutes.

Three integrated skills.

Training the brain to grow mental strength.

Why This Matters

Your brain is plastic—it changes based on what you repeatedly do.
If you repeatedly reach for a substance or a distraction, your brain learns that pattern.
If you repeatedly practice mindfulness, reappraise negative thoughts, and savor the good in life, your brain learns that pattern instead.

Over time, these practices:

• increase sensitivity to natural rewards

• reduce stress and emotional reactivity

• weaken the pull of addictive cues

• soften the grip of physical and emotional pain

• strengthen your sense of meaning and connection

This is the heart of MORE: teaching your brain to find pleasure, purpose, and peace in the present moment without needing something external to make you feel okay.