A craving hits like a wall. Sudden, overwhelming, all-consuming. Every fiber of your body says "just one more time." It feels like it will last forever—like the only way out is through the dispensary door.
It won't last forever. It will last about 20 minutes. And this knowledge is your most powerful weapon.
The Wave: What a Craving Actually Is
A craving isn't a constant state. It's a wave. It builds, peaks, and crashes—every single time, without exception. The problem is that most people try to fight the wave (white-knuckling it) or flee from it (giving in). Both approaches fail because they treat the craving as something to defeat.
Craving surfing—developed as part of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) by Dr. Sarah Bowen and colleagues—takes a radically different approach. Instead of fighting or fleeing, you observe. You ride the wave like a surfer rides the ocean. You don't try to stop the wave. You just stay on the board until it passes.
The Science of 20 Minutes
Why 20 minutes? It comes down to neurotransmitter dynamics.
When a craving is triggered (by a cue, a memory, stress, or boredom), your brain releases a burst of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. This dopamine doesn't cause pleasure—it causes wanting. That intense pull you feel is dopamine-driven anticipatory desire.
But neurotransmitters are metabolized. Dopamine is broken down by enzymes (MAO and COMT) and reuptaken by transporter proteins. The surge literally cannot sustain itself beyond 15–20 minutes without re-triggering. If you don't act on the craving—if you don't add fuel to the fire—the biochemistry dictates that it will fade.
Every. Single. Time.
This isn't motivational psychology. It's neurochemistry. The wave must break.
Step-by-Step: How to Surf
When a craving hits, follow this sequence. It takes 15–20 minutes.
Step 1: Notice (30 seconds)
Acknowledge the craving without judgment. Say to yourself (literally, out loud if you can): "I'm experiencing a craving right now." Don't say "I need to smoke." Reframe from identity ("I'm a person who wants to smoke") to observation ("A craving is happening in my body"). This activates the prefrontal cortex—your rational brain—which immediately begins moderating the amygdala's panic response.
Step 2: Body Scan (2 minutes)
Close your eyes. Where do you feel the craving in your body? Common locations:
- Tightness in the chest
- Knot in the stomach
- Tension in the jaw
- Restlessness in the hands or legs
- A "pull" sensation toward the throat
Rate the intensity from 1–10. You're becoming an observer of the sensation, not a victim of it.
Step 3: Breathe (3 minutes)
4-7-8 breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Do this 4 times. This activates the vagus nerve, which directly stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Your heart rate drops, cortisol decreases, and the fight-or-flight response that makes cravings feel urgent begins to downregulate.
Step 4: Observe the Wave (5–10 minutes)
This is the surfing itself. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Your only job is to watch the craving without acting on it. Notice:
- Is it getting stronger or weaker?
- Has the physical sensation moved?
- What thoughts are accompanying it? ("Just one hit," "You deserve it," "Nobody will know")
- Can you let those thoughts pass like clouds?
You will likely notice the craving pulsing—intensifying and softening. This is normal. Each pulse is typically weaker than the last. You're watching the wave break in real time.
Step 5: Release (2 minutes)
As the craving subsides, take three deep breaths. Note your intensity level again (1–10). It will be lower—often dramatically. Acknowledge what you just did: you experienced the full force of a craving and came out the other side without using. That's not nothing. That's rewiring your brain.
Why Surfing Works Better Than Fighting
White-knuckling ("I must NOT think about smoking") activates what psychologists call ironic process theory. Trying to suppress a thought makes it more intrusive. Try not thinking about a pink elephant. See?
Craving surfing sidesteps this entirely. You're not suppressing—you're observing. Neuroscience shows that observation without reaction (metacognitive awareness) activates the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which inhibits the craving circuitry without creating the rebound effect that suppression causes.
Additionally, every craving you surf without acting on it weakens the neural pathway between cue and response. It's called extinction learning. Your brain learns: "That cue doesn't lead to THC anymore." Over time, the cue triggers a weaker and weaker response.
It Gets Easier: The Data
Here's what craving frequency typically looks like during recovery:
- Week 1: Multiple cravings per day, high intensity (7–10/10)
- Week 2: Several cravings per day, moderate intensity (5–8/10)
- Weeks 3–4: 1–3 cravings per day, decreasing intensity (3–6/10)
- Weeks 5–8: A few cravings per week, manageable (2–5/10)
- Weeks 9–12: Occasional cravings, brief and mild (1–3/10)
By Day 90, most people report cravings as rare, brief, and easy to dismiss. The technique that felt impossible in Week 1 becomes second nature by Week 8.
Emergency Surfing: Quick Version
Don't have 20 minutes? Use the 60-second version:
- Name it: "This is a craving. It will pass."
- Breathe: Three slow breaths.
- Delay: "I'll decide in 20 minutes."
- Move: Change your physical environment (walk outside, go to another room, splash cold water on your face).
The "delay" is key. You're not saying "never"—you're saying "not right now." This reduces the pressure. And in 20 minutes, the biochemistry will have done its work.
You don't have to be perfect. You just have to keep surfing.
