Urges peak at 3 to 5 minutes, then break naturally. Do not fight the wave; stay on the surfboard with slow breaths.
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Wave Rising
How Urge Surfing Works: Developed by psychologist Dr. G. Alan Marlatt, urge surfing teaches that cravings are not endless walls—they are ocean waves that crest and subside within minutes. Attempting to suppress an urge amplifies it (rebound effect); simply observing physical sensations while breathing slowly lets the neurochemical spike dissolve without action.