By 3pm it feels like the pantry is calling your name. The easiest thing is to listen to the little voice in your head. The truth is, you might not even be hungry.

Here's the trick that beats the craving: just wait 10 minutes.

That's the whole rule.

Why do cravings happen?

A craving usually isn't a willpower problem. It's your body (or your brain) sending a signal. Here are some of the usual suspects:

• Blood sugar dips. A sugary lunch spikes you up, then drops you hard. The crash screams for more sugar.
• Not enough protein. Protein keeps you full and steady. Skimp on it and your body keeps hunting for energy.
• Stress. Cortisol nudges you toward quick, comforting, high-sugar foods.
• Tiredness. Short on sleep? Your hunger hormones get noisy and self-control gets quiet.
• Habit and emotion. Sometimes 3pm just means snack o'clock, or you're bored, not hungry.
• Dehydration. Thirst often masquerades as hunger.

Knowing the trigger helps, because most cravings aren't really about the food. They're about a need.

Why the rule works

Cravings feel like emergencies, but they're not. They're waves. They peak, they crest, if you don't feed them, they pass. Most cravings burn out in a few minutes once you stop giving them attention.

The 10-Minute Rule buys you time to let the wave roll through. You're not saying "no" forever (which your brain hates). You're just saying "not right now" which is a way easier pill to swallow.

How to actually do it

When a craving hits, set a timer for 10 minutes and go do literally anything else:

• Take a lap around the bloc
• Drink a big glass of water
• Text someone back
• Knock out one annoying task you've been avoiding

Nine times out of ten, you'll forget the craving ever happened.

And when you're still hungry after 10?

Sometimes the timer goes off and you realise it wasn't a craving, you were actually just  hungry. Fair enough. The fix isn't willpower, it's having something genuinely good on hand so you're not stuck choosing between "sad office biscuit" and "nothing."

Here are a few of our favourite snacks to keep around for when you really do need a pick me up. 

• A bowl of nuts
• Fresh Fruit
• Collagen Bar
• Carrots and Hummas
• Beef Bar

Cravings are loud but lazy. Make them wait 10 minutes and most of them give up. And for the ones that don't? Reach for something that actually loves you back.