1252: How To Ride The Wave Of Anxiety Instead Of Fighting It With Urge Surfing
Anxiety doesn't have to be fought — it can be ridden. In this powerful episode, Gina Ryan introduces 'urge surfing,' a mindfulness technique that reframes anxiety not as an enemy to be eliminated, but as a wave to be observed and experienced without immediate reaction. She explains how the real problem isn't the anxious feeling itself, but the urge to escape it — a reflex that keeps the nervous system in a state of chronic alert. By pausing, noticing bodily sensations with curiosity, and breathing through the wave instead of resisting it, listeners can retrain their brains to see discomfort as temporary and survivable. Over time, this practice builds self-trust and inner steadiness, transforming anxiety from a crisis into a manageable experience. The episode emphasizes that healing isn't about perfection — even one minute of pause counts as progress.
The urge to escape anxiety is often worse than the anxiety itself — resisting the urge is where healing begins.
Practice urge surfing by pausing for just 30 seconds when an urge arises, then noticing bodily sensations with curiosity.
Most urges are temporary — they peak and fade, just like ocean waves, even if they feel endless in the moment.
Every small moment of awareness strengthens new neural pathways and builds self-trust in your ability to handle discomfort.
You don’t need to fix or stop anxiety — just allow it to move through you like a wave, without fighting it.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Freedom in Not Acting on Urges
“An urge is not an emergency. And just because the brain produces an urge doesn't mean that we must immediately act on it. That right there is where your freedom begins.”
Why We React to Discomfort
The brain’s natural drive to avoid discomfort is explained as a survival mechanism, but for anxious people, this becomes overdeveloped, leading to cycles of escape and reinforcement.
The Real Enemy: Resistance to Feeling
“Often the suffering is not only the original anxious feeling, it's the resistance to the feeling. It's the fear of the feeling. It's the story about the feeling.”
What Is Urge Surfing?
A mindfulness technique where you observe an urge without reacting, allowing it to rise, peak, and fall like a wave — without trying to control or escape it.
How to Practice Urge Surfing
“Every time you pause instead of automatically reacting, you are strengthening new neural pathways. You are teaching yourself, I can experience discomfort without abandoning myself.”
“And now for today's quote, You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. And that's from Jon Kabat -Zinn.”
“Wave after wave, moment after moment, you begin discovering, oh, this rises. This feeling peaks. It changes, and I'm still here.”
“Every time you pause instead of automatically reacting, you are strengthening new neural pathways. You are teaching yourself, I can experience discomfort without abandoning myself.”
Host
Gina Ryan
person
The Anxiety Coaches Podcast
media
AquaTrue
product
Air Doctor
product
Jon Kabat-Zinn
person
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