A free tool · works offline · nothing leaves your device
Ride the Urge
Feeling the pull to game when you don't want to? A craving is a wave — it rises, peaks, and passes on its own, usually within about 20–30 minutes. This is a few minutes of practice at watching the wave instead of acting on it — then making a plan for next time.
Why this works (and what it can't do)
The core skill is urge surfing — from mindfulness-based relapse prevention. Rather than fighting or feeding a craving, you observe it as a passing physical sensation. Cravings crest and subside; noticing this repeatedly weakens their grip (Bowen et al., 2014; MBRP mechanisms, 2017). The paced breathing (a longer out-breath) nudges your body toward calm.
At the end you'll write an “if–then” plan — implementation intentions are one of the most reliable behaviour-change tools there is (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006), and they give you something to carry out of here.
Honest limits: the evidence for these skills comes largely from other addictions and is still preliminary for gaming specifically. One session introduces a skill — the benefit comes from using it in real moments of craving, ideally alongside real support.
No account. No tracking. No network requests. Your notes stay in this browser only, and you can delete them any time.
Step 1 of 4 · Notice
What are you feeling the pull to do?
Optional — naming it helps you see it as a thing that's happening, not a command you have to obey.
Step 2 of 4 · Ride it out
Watch the wave. Don't act. Just breathe.
Settle in. The urge is here — let it be here. You don't have to do anything about it.
Step 3 of 4 · See the change
How strong is the urge now?
Step 4 of 4 · Carry it out
Your if–then plan
Deciding in advance what you'll do makes it far more likely you'll actually do it. Fill the blanks — you'll keep this.
You did the hard part
Now close this and go live your day.
You practised sitting with an urge without obeying it — that's the whole skill, and it gets easier each time. The best thing you can do now is step away from the screen and do the thing you value.
Come back and open this whenever a real urge hits — not to keep a streak (there isn't one, on purpose), just as a tool when you need it.
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