Red Alert! 5 Surefire Ways to Prevent a Relapse

Everyone who’s been on the Nofap journey for at least some time knows what an urge is. An urge is when your brain and body want what your conscious mind is depriving them of; something they’ve gotten used to and, in their simple animalistic thinking, don’t understand why would you deprive them of this feel-good treat. Your brain will talk to you; it will try to tempt you with words, pictures, and memories. Your job is to resist. But how to resist? This article will deal with ways to resist. These tricks and habits will get you safely to the other side of an urge and keep you on that delicious and life-enabling streak.

1. Get out of the house.

You wouldn’t think of jacking off out there in the daylight, would you? Actually, the thought never occurred to me. The reason for going outside isn’t the important one here. Just put on your shoes and go. Take a walk, or perhaps go visit a friend. This will distract you, and you’ll probably feel better when you eventually get back home, so no more urges.

2. Exercise

Having a regular exercise habit will greatly aid your recovery. You’ll be getting those feel-good hormones naturally while also taking care of your longevity, quality of life, and appearance! It’s a win-win situation. Why not use those urges to get in a beast-mode workout today? You’ll feel great afterwards, trust me; you rarely don't after a good one. Just one word of warning: don’t set yourself up for failure. You don’t need to visualize the best workout of your life or X sets of this and X movements, etc. The biggest victory is simply showing up. Show up to the gym or bust a set of pushups. The rest will follow.

3. Do nothing at all

Sometimes you want the lowest possible threshold of activity. Perhaps even going outside feels like too much of a hurdle. Do nothing. Set aside your internet devices. Go sit in a comfortable place or lay down. Just breathe. You are okay. Urges are a natural part of the process. They will always pass. Feel the urge; just let it be. It can’t hurt you. Remember, you have the power. An urge can only try to move your hands by speaking to you or showing you images. Lift a hand in front of you and form a fist. Ask the urge to open it. It can’t. It wont. You have perfect control over yourself, and once you truly realize this, no urge can touch you. Take a moment to just relax and take a breather. You don’t need to do things all the time. You are good enough as you are.

4. Meditate

Another great habit is meditation. It has actually been shown to do the opposite of what addiction does: grow the frontal cortex. This is huge. You can think of meditation as the opposite force for the porn habit you’ve been indulging in. Plus, it should make you feel nice and calm after a while. If you feel an urge, just sit down with good posture and start focusing on your breathing. Let all thoughts express themselves, and gently move back to the feeling of breathing in and out if and when you notice your attention slipping away. It will slip away, and you can never win this battle, but the key is to keep moving the attention back to the feeling of breathing. Don’t force the breath; aim to let it naturally occur. The urges will pass in time, and meditation will pass the time while making your mind stronger at the same time.

5. Journal

Sit down and write about your urges. Write about why you might be feeling urges right now. Write about actions and habits that might be beneficial for you in regards to quitting this addiction for good. Write about what you are grateful for in your life. Write about anything that comes into your life. But be kind to yourself. Practice good self-talk if you can. Don’t focus on grammar or perfect structure; nobody’s going to read this. Just let the thoughts flow. Your thoughts will crystallize, and you might learn something about yourself and your addiction. You might find that the situation is not so bad and the urges are under your control. Journaling gives you more control over your life. Just try it out.

In conclusion:

So here it is: five solid habits you might want to resort to if an urge strikes you. If you feel like the urge is still within you after doing one of these, just do another. An urge will never last for long. Also, always remember to be kind to yourself. You are trying. This is enough. Bad self-talk will keep you relapsing, so be kind to yourself.

Bonus:
6. Don’t get urges

The absolute best way to prevent a relapse is to not get any urge at all. How to not get urges? "Wouldn’t that be wonderful, if only?" you might say. But it’s possible and only natural if you think about it. Time, of course, is your ally. The longer you abstain, the weaker those pathways grow in your brain. But putting some conscious effort into "deperverting" yourself is very helpful as well. When you notice yourself fantasizing or thinking depraved thoughts, stop. You can’t control the first thought, but you can control perpetuating it. Simply noticing is a big part, and then you can switch your focus to either something you’re doing at the moment or to another train of thought. The deviant thoughts will resurface again; don’t be frustrated. It’s only natural. Simply notice and redirect again. Repetition is the king of learning. Slowly but surely, your brain will learn. You can’t expect to change a habit that you’ve unwittingly carried on for years in a couple of weeks. It will take time. Starting a mindfulness meditation habit or journaling will help you notice your thoughts better.