If an urge has ever felt so strong that acting on it seemed like the only way through, you already know how convincing that feeling can be. An urge can feel permanent in the moment. It rarely is. This free tool lets you watch one of your own urges rise and fall in real time. It runs right in your browser, and nothing you type ever leaves your device.
Urges show up in ordinary moments: checking your phone one more time, snapping back at someone, scrolling past when you meant to stop, sending a message you will probably regret. The pull can feel enormous. Then, often within minutes, it eases on its own. This tool helps you notice that happening as it happens, instead of only remembering it afterward.
Why urges pass on their own
This idea, often called urge surfing, comes from the relapse-prevention work of psychologist G. Alan Marlatt [1]. The technique itself is simple: rate an urge’s intensity as it moves, rather than fighting it or giving in. It has been studied directly. One trial found it did not necessarily lower how strong urges felt, but it did change what people did next [2]. A related, more structured program built on the same practice showed promising early results in a randomized pilot trial [3].
How The Crest works
The exercise moves through a few plain steps, at your pace, with no timers and no pressure.
- Name it, if you want to. A few words for what the urge is pulling you toward, or skip straight to rating it.
- Rate it as it moves. One number, one to ten, as often as it shifts. Nothing else is required.
- Watch the water. It only rises and falls with your own readings. It never moves on its own.
- See the shape. Right after, a replay of your actual wave: how high it got, and how long it really lasted.
It is free, private, and works on your phone or your computer. You can stop any time. You can also keep or export what you rode, if you want to hold onto it. Looking for something else? You can browse all the free tools in the toolkit.
When it might help to talk it through
An urge that keeps returning, or one that is tangled up with thoughts that loop and will not let go, can be a sign there is more going on underneath. If that sounds familiar, it can help to talk it through with someone.
I am Sean Lewis, a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) in Colwood, BC. I work with intrusive thoughts and rumination, and with stress and burnout, including the urges that often ride alongside them. If that feels like a next step, you are welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation. It is a short call to see whether working together fits.
If an urge is ever about hurting yourself or someone else, this page is not the right support. In Canada, you can call or text 9-8-8 any time.
Educational content; not a substitute for therapy. If you are working through something significant, consider connecting with a counsellor or your family doctor.
References
- [1] Hendershot, C. S., Witkiewitz, K., George, W. H., and Marlatt, G. A. (2011). Relapse prevention for addictive behaviors. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 6(1), 17.
- [2] Bowen, S., and Marlatt, A. (2009). Surfing the urge: Brief mindfulness-based intervention for college student smokers. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(4), 666-671.
- [3] Bowen, S., Chawla, N., Collins, S. E., Witkiewitz, K., Hsu, S., Grow, J., Clifasefi, S., Garner, M., Douglass, A., Larimer, M. E., and Marlatt, A. (2009). Mindfulness-based relapse prevention for substance use disorders: A pilot efficacy trial. Substance Abuse, 30(4), 295-305.