Urge Surfing & Substance Use Toolkit: Recovery & Regulation

Urge Surfing Worksheets

Mindfulness Tools for Cravings, Addiction & Emotional Regulation

The Urge Surfing Technique Worksheets provide a gentle, evidence-based way to manage cravings, impulses, and overwhelming urges without acting on them. Rooted in mindfulness practices commonly used in addiction recovery, relapse prevention, and emotional regulation, these worksheets help you learn how to ride out urges rather than fight them.

Using the metaphor of riding a wave like a surfer, urge surfing teaches that urges are temporary. Just like waves, they rise, peak, and eventually fall — even when they feel intense in the moment.

What Is Urge Surfing?

1. Urge surfing is a mindfulness-based technique that helps you:
2. Notice urges without judgment
3. Stay present with discomfort rather than reacting automatically
4. Allow urges to pass naturally without suppression or avoidance

Instead of resisting or giving in, you learn to observe the urge with curiosity, noticing how it changes over time. With practice, this builds confidence, self-trust, and emotional resilience.

What’s Included
🌊 Guided Urge Surfing Worksheets

1. Step-by-step prompts to identify triggers and early warning signs
2. Body-based awareness exercises to track how urges show up physically
3. Reflection sections to observe the rise, peak, and fall of an urge

🧠 Mindfulness-Based Scripts (3 Included)

1. Short, structured scripts to guide you through urge surfing in real time
2. Designed for moments of crisis, high stress, or impulsive urges
3. Can be used independently or read aloud in therapy sessions

🚨 Crisis & Coping Support

1. Tools to slow down impulsive reactions
2. Encourages safer, values-aligned responses during moments of intensity

Who These Worksheets Are Helpful For

These worksheets are ideal for individuals working to reduce or stop:

1. Substance use or addictive behaviors
2. Smoking or vaping
3. Overeating or binge eating
4. Compulsive spending or shopping
5. Emotional outbursts or impulsive reactions
6. Any habit used as a short-term coping strategy
7. They are also suitable for therapists, counselors, coaches, and recovery programs (with the appropriate license).

Key Benefits

1. Builds awareness without shame or self-criticism
2. Supports relapse prevention and long-term recovery
3. Strengthens emotional regulation and distress tolerance
4. Encourages mindful choice rather than automatic behavior
5. Can be used alongside ACT, DBT, mindfulness, and trauma-informed therapy

Licensing Information

🌟 PERSONAL USE ONLY
This license allows use for individual self-reflection and personal recovery.

🌟 FOR THERAPY PRACTICES: COMMERCIAL LICENSE REQUIRED
Commercial use, distribution, or use with clients is not permitted without purchasing the appropriate commercial license.

Copyright Notice

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Unauthorized reproduction, resale, or distribution may result in legal action.