While I am not a fan of restriction or deprivation, we all have behaviours we want to change or eliminate to improve our health and wellness.
That after lunch sweet treat for example. It’s fine once in a while but maybe you are finding that the daily habit is throwing your blood sugar out of whack causing an energy dip by 4pm and it’s making it hard to achieve your weight-loss goals. But what do you do when that craving comes around and the urge to grab that handful of candies is overwhelming?
Try Urge Surfing – (watch the podcast here or keep reading for more)
Urge surfing is a technique that can be used to avoid acting on any behavior that you want to reduce or stop like unhealthy snacking, grabbing a second helping of dinner when you aren’t hungry or even mindlessly scrolling social media.
It can be used for other unhealthy behaviours like smoking, substance use, spending or anger management however, in these cases it’s best to speak to a licensed clinician who specializes in these issues to get the expert help you need.
Urges to perform certain unwanted behaviours or cravings for unhealthy foods rarely last and come in a predictable wave where they rise, crest and fall. This is only if we don’t immediately give in to them or try to suppress or fight them. If you attempt to suppress an urge, that feeling only gets stronger. Instead try to ride out the feeling with urge surfing.
The ramp up (or bottom of the wave) is the trigger point or event when the urge starts and begins to grow. At this point it can feel like it will never end, until you ultimately give in to it.
If you don’t give in to the urge you will notice that you will eventually reach the peak.
The Peak is the most intense point at the top of the wave where the urge or craving is the strongest.
And the Ramp down is the point past the crest of the wave where the feeling begins to dissipate and return to baseline.
Here is how to use urge surfing in your life:
- Recognize – The first step is to recognize the craving. Stop and notice – take a deep breath and be willing to sit with the urge or craving. Notice if you feel this urge in any specific spot in your body.
2. Remove – Remove yourself (if possible) from the situation that has triggered the craving. Leave the kitchen for example.
3. Relax – This third step can be the hardest one, because you are going to try to experience the craving. Relax, stay present and see how the feeling intensifies and maybe moves throughout your body. Try to do something that is calming like deep breathing, or even take a walk or do a few stretches. After several minutes you will notice the feeling subside and the craving will pass.
Now this, as with many behaviour change techniques will feel hard or awkward at first. It will feel much easier to just give in to the craving and move on, but you won’t ever really move on if you keep giving in to the craving will you? You just stay stuck in the vicious cycle and feel frustrated or defeated.
If you give urge surfing a try, you’ll find that, with practice, urges will become easier to ride out. Start with small or simple urges like the urge to grab your phone while waiting in line. Then when you get the hang of it, you can use urge surfing to tackling bigger or more complex urges like that mid afternoon donut.
Riding the waves of cravings and urges can help you manage temptations, break unhealthy habits and learn to act according to your values & goals, instead of according to your urges – willpower not required.
Are you looking for more tips to keep you motivated and on track to reach your goals, willpower not required? Listen to the podcast! Episodes are uploaded every Monday, Wednesday & Friday and are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and RadioPublic
You can also find videos of each episode on our YouTube channel
To find out more about what Fired Up Fitness has to offer and how we can help you safely and effectively reach your goals, check out our virtual & in-person services or contact us. We’d love to help!