Urge Surfing Reminder.

Practice, innit.

• Find a spot where you will not be disturbed or distracted for a little bit.

• Get seated comfortably—on a chair or on the floor—and close your eyes so that you can focus your attention on the exercise.

• In your mind, steadily scan your body to find spots where you are experiencing physical sensations that might be connected to the cravings for alcohol.

• Once you have identified a sensation, bring your attention to it and calmly describe it to yourself. Start with the most intense sensation and move to each subsequent sensation. Describe each sensation as objectively as you are able. Go slow. There’s no hurry.

• When you are finished going through the sensations, shift your attention to your breathing. Just breathe as you normally would and focus on the rising and falling sensation.

• In your own time, go through the scanning process again. If you are still experiencing strong physical sensations connected to your cravings, go through the slow and steady process of describing them to yourself again. Once you have finished, go back to focusing on your breathing.

• You can continue this process as long as is necessary, feeling the cravings subside like waves on the ocean getting smaller and smaller until it flattens out and the urge has dissipated and gone.

Next time I get the "urge" to hit the pub, this is what I need to to reach for and practice. Replace the "pub" with other activities. The alcohol and my inability to control his much I drink just ruins everything.

Remiders:

Pub people are not your friends. They're enablers that need to be around other drinkers.

Pub staff are not your friends. They're enablers that are there because they need to be.

Replace the pub with a physical activity, not junk food.

Never give up.

Stop.

Surf The Urge.

Opposite action.

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Self Care Reward.