Urge Surfing
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Urge surfing is a technique for managing addiction and strong craving: when an urge such as the pull to smoke or to binge arrives, the person does not try to suppress it, which is like blocking a wave, but imagines riding on its crest, feeling it rise and fall until it subsides. Any impulse is a temporary wave that usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes, and staying out of it long enough to surf it carries a person through the withdrawal.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Name the wave: label the urge when it arrives instead of obeying or fighting it - Ride the body: attend to physical sensation and watch the urge peak and subside - Wait before acting: let the wave pass completely before any decision is made
Anchor fast decisions
An impulse is a transient wave of emotional and physical arousal that peaks and then declines on its own, typically within 20 to 30 minutes. Suppressing it strengthens it through rebound, while watching it as an observer neither feeds nor fights it, so the urge is allowed to decay without being reinforced by action.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._Alan_Marlattverified
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