Urge surfing: how to ride out a food craving

Urge surfing is a skill from mindfulness-based relapse prevention. The idea is simple: an urge behaves like a wave. It rises, peaks and falls, usually within minutes, whether or not you act on it.

Most of the time we never find that out, because we act at the peak. Urge surfing is practice in staying on the board.

How to do it

1. Notice the wave. Say to yourself, "This is an urge." Naming it creates a little distance.
2. Find it in your body. Chest, throat, stomach, hands? Notice temperature, pressure, restlessness.
3. Breathe out longer than you breathe in. In for four, out for six. A long out-breath tells your nervous system it is safe.
4. Watch it change. Every minute or so, check in: stronger, weaker, different? You are not fighting it, and not obeying it.
5. Decide afterwards. When it has eased, ask, "Do I still want this?" If yes, eat it on a plate, sitting down, with attention. That is a real choice, not a failure.

Why it works

Each time you ride an urge to the end, your brain learns that the feeling is survivable and temporary. Over time, urges tend to arrive less often and with less force.

Tips

• Start with small urges, not the hardest evening of the week.
• Pair it with a ten-minute timer.
• If urges feel overwhelming or lead to eating that feels out of control, that is worth talking about with a professional.

SootheMeal's SOS Urge Wave guides you through these steps in about three minutes. Start free.