As we enter into the holiday season, chances are, you’ll notice an increased focus on family gatherings and social events — which often center around food. For individuals struggling with an addiction or eating disorder, this time of year can be particularly overwhelming and stressful. 

In today’s blog post, let’s take a closer look at urge surfing, a coping strategy to help you handle challenging moments without action or judgment.

To start, it’s important to define an urge. An urge is a feeling of intense desire for something specific. It may be for basic needs, like wanting to eat when you feel hungry, or non-essential needs, like a cigarette, cocktail, or another helping of a holiday dessert. Even if you don’t want to feel an urge, it can be hard to ignore.

Urge surfing, then, is a mindfulness technique used to notice and experience an urge without engaging with it. The concept was originally developed to help individuals in addiction recovery. It compares an urge to an ocean wave, which can be powerful but passes quickly. Likewise, an urge may be strong, but it won’t last very long. Urge surfing allows you to imagine yourself as a surfer, simply riding the wave of your urge. 

This coping strategy is more helpful than attempting to distract yourself from an urge. In fact, avoiding a thought tends to make it more intense and harder to ignore. Instead, urge surfing gives you permission to fully observe and feel your feelings without giving up control. It helps you learn to experience urges in a new way and “ride them out” until they subside.

In many ways, urge surfing is a form of meditation.

To start, sit in a comfortable position and focus on your breath without controlling it. Breathe in through your nose and fill your lungs; breathe out slowly through your mouth. Think about your chest rising and falling. 

After a few breaths, your mind will begin to wander. Observe your thoughts and feelings without annoyance, shame, or criticism. Right away, this compassionate approach reduces your stress and makes the thoughts less powerful. When you notice your mind drifting away from your breath, focus on it again.

As you sit in the mindful moment, you’ll start to feel an urge for something. It may be something harmless like a glass of water or a desire to scratch your leg. Avoid reacting to the urge right away. Instead, view it from an outside point of view. Think about the physical sensations it creates, like a dry mouth or a spot that feels prickly and hot. 

Chances are, urge surfing will feel uncomfortable at first. As you pay attention to your urge, it may even get stronger! Don’t let fear take over. Instead, stay curious and detached from your feelings. Just like a wave in the ocean, the urge will rise, reach its peak, and then lose its strength. Recognize that an urge doesn’t last for long and always weakens as time passes.

Urge surfing is especially beneficial for people in various types of treatment and recovery. 

If you’re in recovery for substance abuse, you may still experience strong cravings for drugs or alcohol. Urge surfing helps you maintain control during these urges and prevent relapses. It has a similar impact for people struggling with other addictions, like gambling or spending large amounts of money. 

This meditation technique also helps individuals manage eating disordered behaviors, particularly those facing bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. For instance, if you feel a desire to purge after a holiday meal, it can help you ride out this desire without giving into it. It may also help you manage strong cravings for unhealthy foods by allowing you to recognize the sensations of the urge without needing to eat the food. 

If you’re struggling with urges, I hope this coping strategy helps you enjoy the holiday season in a new way!

Discover the possibility of living a meaningful life. Discover the possibility of recovery. Reach out to Dr. Benaaz Russell, PsyD, CEDS-S, today to schedule an appointment!