About this practice
Urge Surfing is a mindfulness-based skill for riding out cravings, impulses, and intense emotions without acting on them. Instead of fighting the urge or giving in, you notice it like a wave that rises, peaks, and falls. Research from mindfulness-based relapse prevention and CBT/DBT shows that observing internal cues with curiosity, labeling sensations, and delaying action can reduce reactivity, support self-control, and align behavior with your values. Practiced regularly, this approach helps with cravings (e.g., food, nicotine, alcohol), habits, and strong emotional surges such as anger or anxiety.
Understand the wave
- Trigger: a cue (place, person, thought, emotion) sets the urge in motion.
- Rise: sensations and thoughts intensify; the mind predicts relief if you act.
- Peak: the urge feels strongest and “urgent.” This phase is temporary.
- Fall: intensity drops on its own, especially when you don’t fuel it.
Instructions
Before you start. Find a stable posture (sitting or standing). Soften shoulders and jaw. Take one longer, easy exhale to settle your nervous system. Decide to observe first, act later.
Notice and name. Silently acknowledge, “An urge is here.” Briefly rate its intensity 0–10. Label related thoughts and feelings: “pressure in chest,” “restlessness,” “I need it now.”
Locate sensations. Scan the body and pinpoint where you feel the urge most. Describe qualities (tight, hot, buzzing, heavy). Stay with raw sensations rather than the story about them.
Breathe and ride. Let the breath be natural or slightly slower on the exhale. Imagine placing the sensations on a wave. As the wave rises, keep breathing; as it peaks, say “this will pass”; as it falls, notice even a 5–10% drop.
Make room. If discomfort grows, widen attention to include feet on the floor, sounds in the room, or your hands resting. You’re not trying to erase the urge—only to make space around it.
Delay and decide. Give yourself a short window (e.g., 5 minutes) to surf. Re-rate intensity. If it’s lower, extend the window. When you’re ready, choose a value‑aligned action (leave the room, drink water, text a supportive person) instead of the impulse.
Close and note. Take one steady exhale. Name what helped (“slower breath,” “labeling,” “time”). If useful, jot a quick note: trigger, intensity peak, what you chose.
Optional supports
• Opposite action: do something incompatible with the urge (step outside, stretch, wash your face, block the contact you’d message).
• Fact-checking: ask, “What evidence supports acting now? What’s the cost in 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days?”
• Timing: many urges crest and drop within minutes—watch the curve.
Practice with Care
The goal is not to feel nothing, but to respond wisely. If surfing increases distress, return to grounding, shorten the practice, or seek support. For substance use or self-harm urges, pair this skill with professional care; if you’re in immediate danger, contact local emergency or crisis resources. With consistent practice—even brief sessions—you can reduce impulsive behavior, tolerate discomfort, and choose actions that match your values.
