Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 41

Therefore, O best of the descendants of Bharata, first restrain your senses, then cast off this evil thing that destroys knowledge and discernment.

Catch it early. It's far easier to not let a craving take root than to fight it once it's already in charge.

Timing matters here as much as the action itself. Getting ahead of desire, before it's fully formed and demanding, is described as genuinely easier than trying to wrestle it down once it's already taken hold.