Urge Surfing
Did you ever get an unwanted thought during the day that created urges, cravings or impulses to engage with harmful behaviors? Giving in to those thoughts can be stressful and unhealthy but also be very dangerous.
Mindfulness teaches us to “surf” or not give into the urge by taking our yearnings out of the act on part of the brain and move them to the observing part.
Urge surfing is a mindfulness technique that rests on the principle of accepting a craving for what it is rather than resisting it and wanting it to go away.
While practicing, you will ride out an urge, like a surfer riding a wave.
Have you ever practiced urge surfing?
I would like to share this video with you which gives some very helpful information:
DBT - Mindfulness - Urge Surfing
What did you find most striking in this video?
Some unwanted urges can present themselves in ways which are very dangerous to people. If you feel you are at risk please consult your doctor or talk to a therapist to get help.
7cups has online, certified therapists with a paid option. For more information click on link https://www.7cups.com/online-therapy/?ob=1
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@amiablePeace77 I find sometimes when I am trying to go to sleep my mind has other ideas! So I just keep surfing the thoughts and not reacting to them.
Or sometimes just being aware of my body.
When I get the impulse or thought to eat food, I ask myself am I hungry or thirsty. Often when I just ate recently I need to drink water not take in more food.
@soulsings
I believe it's a good question to ask yourself about why you want to eat also to find out whether it could be emotional eating.
@amiablePeace77 yes I hear you too much comfort food is not comfortable.
Hi @soulsings . Excellent example. I practice the same methods as you. I like your quote, "too much comfort food is not comfortable." Stay well.
Greetings, @amiablepeace77. 👋🏻 Great post. I like the name of the technique the most (Urge Surfing). From the video, the most highlighted key (to me) was the "Observe the Urge" segment. Instead of allowing oneself to "press forward", it's suggested to step back and observe the feelings. Interesting 3 Action suggestions, too. Stay well 🙏🏽
@Redirecting
Thanks. I believe when we observe the feelings it brings us closer to them, closer to understanding what is going on by developing some kind of curiosity - embrace instead of "press forward".
Very well said. Absolutely. 😊 @amiablePeace77
I watched the urge surfing meditation last night while feeling nicotine cravings, and it definitely helped. I had a very productive day that ended up suddenly feeling very tired and kind of blank. But I'm continuing to use urge surfing as this is my danger zone, and where I've given in/given up/ended up truly depressed.
But that's the thing, if I look at my emotions, what are my urges? To interpret a relative lack of strong emotions as "depression". And maybe I am mildly depressed, I feel a bit heavy, a bit tingly or numb in my face honestly, but heck, maybe it's just the food I ate last night, does it have to be "I'm sad now, I must be depressed now, this will be a bad day"? NO.
At any rate, I have that urge to interpret things that way, but I found this quote and I want to use it to help me if any stronger urges come around, because this is the day I was waiting for, where I feel just kind of meh, or blah. Which can be serenity, I suspect, if I simply observe my emotions and let them go as they pass my way today.
“Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservoir of infinite possibilities.”
― Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki
@ThadSterling
Viewing the surprisingly "empty" space inside me from this viewpoint, it's as if my accomplishment of quitting cigarettes, and getting back into more "serious" yoga, not to mention becoming slowly more consistent with posting here at 7 cups, was all like cleaning out a room. You clean out a room and sit down in the middle of the room, and you probably feel tired, right?
So that's what I want this "emptiness" to be: the newly cleaned room, from which all possibilities will come.
@ThadSterling
"You can't fill a full cup of tea, you empty it so that it can be refilled with something new".
Great that you're working on becoming more consistent with yoga and posting here.
@ThadSterling
Wow, that's a great insight! I like your view point about the interpretation of emotions and the way they impact us. We can simply observe without giving them any control.
Great quote!