I'm about to do something I'll regret — Urge Timer
The urge is strong right now: to call, to buy, to eat, that one sentence. Here is a timer for 90 seconds of observing — without claiming the urge will have faded by the end.
For the next few minutes
An urge can shift over time, but its duration and intensity are not predictable. The 90 seconds are simply a brief observation window, not a biological promise about timing.
The technique is called "urge surfing": not fighting, not distracting, just observing. You are not the urge — you are the person watching it.
The timer asks you briefly what it is, then starts. While it runs, you only observe: where in your body, how intense, how it changes.
If the urge is connected to self-harm or suicidality, the right place to turn is not a timer, but a crisis line or emergency room.
Step by step
1. Briefly name what you want right now
One word is enough. No one sees it but you.
2. Start the timer
90 seconds. You don't have to do anything.
3. Observe your body
Where, how intense, how it shifts.
4. Breathe out as the wave recedes
You just surfed a wave.
Common questions
What if I can't hold out?
Then that is not a personal failure. Stop the timer, change your situation, or reach out for support. This tool makes no promise that you will last longer next time.
Does this work for addiction?
It is a tool, not the solution. With addiction, it belongs within a treatment plan — not as a standalone strategy.
What about distraction?
Distraction and observation can each be helpful in different situations. The timer offers observation as one option; it cannot determine how your long-term pattern changes as a result.