Pause: ride out an urge in three minutes

A wave is rising

You don't have to push it away. Stay on board and it will pass.

InOut

Breathe out for longer than you breathe in. In for four, out for six.

Three minutes. Follow the circle: in as it grows, out as it shrinks.

It rose, it peaked, it passed. You stayed on board.

Still rough? Go round again. Waves sometimes come in sets, and the same steps work each time.

What should I do while I wait?

Three small things, in this order: breathe out slowly, name the thought, and do one small step.

1. Breathe out for longer than you breathe in. In for four, out for six, five times.
2. Name the thought. Put "I'm having the thought that..." in front of it, and notice the small gap those words open.
3. Do one small step. Pick one and go:

• Put my phone on the hallway dock
• Walk round the block
• Cold water on my face
• Ten slow press-ups
• Step outside and name five things I can see
• Make a cup of tea, slowly

Why three minutes?

Three minutes is short enough to actually do, and you can go round again if you need to. Psychologists call waiting an urge out "urge surfing". It is one of the skills in acceptance and commitment therapy, which Helmkind's course is built on.

Is Pause in the app too?

Yes. In the Helmkind app, Pause is one tap from every screen and from your home screen, uses the plan you wrote, works without signal, and is free for everyone.

Coming soon to iPhone and Android