Urge Surfing: The DBT Skill For Riding Out Destructive Urges

Urges can feel intense, immediate, and impossible to ignore. This guided DBT practice teaches urge surfing - a mindfulness-based skill for noticing an urge, staying with the sensations as they rise and fall, and creating space between the urge and what you do next.
You'll be guided to observe the urge without fighting it, feeding it, or automatically acting on it. The practice can be helpful when you're dealing with impulsive behaviors, emotional reactions, cravings, avoidance, or other urges that feel difficult to resist.
Based on principles from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), this meditation combines mindfulness, body awareness, and nonjudgmental observation to help you experience an urge as something that changes over time rather than something you have to obey.

Transcript

Hey there. Urge surfing is a powerful technique for managing urges to engage in self-destructive or other unwanted behaviors. We all struggle with urges and cravings from time to time. Today we will surf urges like waves in the ocean that rise, Crest, Fall and eventually subside. Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can sit or lie down. Close your eyes gently and take a deep breath in, Allowing your body to relax. Exhale slowly. Releasing tension or stress. Let's begin. Bring your attention to your breath. Feel the natural rhythm of your breath. The gentle rise and fall. Notice the sensation as you inhale and exhale. Allow your breath to be an anchor. Grounding you in the present moment. Notice any sensations in your body without judgment. Notice areas of tension or discomfort. As you breathe. Imagine a wave of relaxation flowing through your body, Soothing and softening any tightness. Acknowledge any urges or cravings you may be experiencing. What are these urges? Know that urges are temporary and do not need to be indulged for them to pass. Picture these urges as waves in the vast ocean of your consciousness. Waves rise and fall naturally, Just like urges. Assure yourself that urges are temporary, Like passing waves in the ocean of your thoughts and feelings. With each breath. Observe the urge rising like a wave gaining momentum. As it reaches its peak. Acknowledge the full intensity of the urge without judgment. Imagine yourself riding this wave. Staying present and aware. You are not the urge, You are the observer. As the wave of the urge begins to subside. Feel the gradual decrease in intensity. Sense the ebbing away, Like the tide retreating from the shore. You remain calm. Anchored in the present moment. Breathe deeply. Allowing the urge to dissipate. Like a wave returning to the vast ocean. If your mind starts to wander. Or if the urge resurfaces, Gently guide your focus back to your breath. Inhale acceptance. Exhale tension, Discomfort, And resistance. Repeat this process, Riding the waves of your experience with mindful awareness. As we conclude, Take a moment to express gratitude for this practice. Acknowledge the strength within you to navigate the ebb and flow of your inner landscape. When you're ready. Slowly bring your awareness back to your surroundings. Wiggle your fingers and toes open your eyes Feel free to return to this guided meditation anytime you feel the need to ride out those pesky urges. Bye for now!