How-to: Urge Surfing module
Quick Summary
- The Urge Surfing module is designed to help you manage and ride out urges without giving in to them.
- Urge surfing is a mindfulness technique that helps you observe and experience your urges without acting on them.
- Just like surfing a wave, you can learn to ride out the intensity of an urge until it naturally subsides.
Here's how it works:
Urges can feel pretty overwhelming when they hit, but here's the good news: they don't last forever. Think of them like waves at the beach. They come in strong, but they eventually fade away.
When an urge strikes, it might feel intense and like it’s never going to end, but just like those waves, it will pass. Most urges peak within a few minutes and then start to decrease. If you can ride it out without giving in, you'll find that it becomes more manageable.
There are lots of ways to manage our urges, including using distractions and other coping skills. This module is a guided meditation you can listen to, tuning into the body and mind and learning to surf on top of the urge rather than getting swept up in it.
For this practice, you can keep your eyes closed, or find a soft focus on a spot on the ground in front of you. Find a comfortable but alert position, maybe placing your feet flat on the floor, rolling your shoulders back and relaxing any tension in your jaw and forehead.
When you’re ready, open up the Urge Surfing module and follow along either by listening to the audio recording, or read the screens to guide you through it.
Let's have a try. Once you’re finished, you’ll be able the access the module again through My Support, so that you can practice Urge Surfing when you need it.