Urge surfing

What is urge surfing?

Urge surfing is a mindfulness practice developed by G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, as part of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention. Urges, cravings, or impulses to engage in the use of substances or activities, like waves at the ocean’s edge, follow a natural progression—they rise in intensity, reach a crest, crash, and then recede.

Urge surfing allows cravings to run their course, allowing them to crest and subside by observing without judging them or oneself, and accepting them without becoming attached to or trying to suppress them. The reality is that, left to their own devices, urges or cravings rarely last longer than 15 to 20 minutes, at which point they pass.

How to Surf an Urge

1. In the same way that skilled surfers scan the ocean looking to pick up waves as soon as they begin to form, you can practice becoming aware of urges early in their genesis. When an urge occurs, notice it consciously. Name it as an urge to use.
2. Observe the internal experiences—the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations—that comprise the urge. Visualize the urge as a wave. Tune in to your breathing, focusing on making your breathing slower and deeper—breathing in fully and deeply through your abdomen on your inhale and breathing out completely to empty your lungs on your exhale. You can use this form of intentional breathing like a surfboard, to be present with the wave as it rises, peaks, and subsides, effectively riding it out.

When the next urge arises, repeat steps one and two.