The STAR method

Hello fellow fapstronauts! Today i hope to teach in an invaluable skills that has brought me a long way in y recovery journey, and that is the STAR technique for avoiding relapses. STAR is an acronym:
Step back and observe
Take a few conscious breathes
Ask yourself what you really want
Respond in a healthy way

Lets start with the S in STAR. When you first realize you are having an urge, truly take time to recognize it. Separate the urge from your thoughts. Think of it as if it is a passing feeling that you can control, because in reality, that is what it is. Observe how you feel in that moment.

After this, take a few deep breathes to calm yourself down and spread oxygen to your brain. By doing this, you will be able to make more conscious decision.

Ask yourself what you really want. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Not just in life, but in the near future. I can almost guarantee you that porn will hurt your ability to that task. To enhance thee effectiveness of this tool, create a list of "anchors". Anchors are things in your life that you love more than porn. People, things or actions that you value more than the fleeting pleasure of porn viewing and that will help you come to the rational choice when confronted with a strong urge to relapse.

After you have temporally convinced yourself that you will be better off without porn, it is not enough to just continue going about your day as you were. You have to respond to the urge in a healthy way. This could be largely based on what caused the urge in the first place. Ask yourself how you were feeling when you had the urge? Bored? Sad? stressed? Whatever it was, combat it with a healthy activity. Bored? read a book, go for a walk? Stressed? talk to someone or eat some food. There is always something better to do than porn and if you look, you will be able to find it.

Like anything, using STAR does not automatically give you the strength to fight an urge, but it will help you think more rationally about your feelings instead of acting on impulse.