Urge Surfing
A mindfulness practice · Inwardly Psychiatry
What is an urge?
A strong inner pull —
a craving, an anxious impulse,
a desire to escape discomfort.
An urge is not a command.
You do not have to act on it.
Like a wave, it rises, peaks,
and passes on its own.
Step 1
Notice and name it
Say to yourself: "I notice an urge to ___."
Naming it creates distance between you and the impulse.
Step 2
Pause and breathe
Take a few slow, full breaths. This brief pause interrupts the automatic pull and activates your body's natural calming response.
Step 3
Locate it in your body
Where do you feel it — chest, throat, stomach, jaw, hands? Observe the location with curiosity rather than resistance.
Step 4
Describe what you feel
Judging sounds like "this is terrible." Describing sounds like "I notice a buzzing sensation in my belly." That shift — from judging to describing — moves your brain from reacting to observing.
Step 5
Watch it change
Urges are not static. Notice as the intensity rises, peaks, then begins to soften. Simply observe it moving through you like a wave.
Step 6
Ride it out
Every time you ride it out, you teach your brain that the signal does not require a response. Over time, the urge fades.
Each time you surf rather than act,
you build tolerance
and reduce the urge's power.
Anaheed Shirazi, MD · Inwardly Psychiatry