Ride the wave of difficult emotions with this mindful technique, outlined by Therapist Aid to help you acknowledge urges and act intentionally.
Here’s a quick overview of the exercise and how to practice it. For the complete details, be sure to check out the original post.
Urge surfing helps us manage unwanted behaviors by “riding out” urges like waves. Instead of giving in, we can practice letting each urge rise and fall, building resilience and promoting positive change.
How to practice it:
- Acknowledge the urge.
- Notice what you’re thinking and how you feel without changing or supressing them.
- Here are some reminders to keep in mind:
- It’s ok to have urges.
- An urge is just a feeling.
- You can choose not to act.
- Discomfort is ok.
- An urge is temporary.
