Drop anchor: the 60-second drill for when it hits.

Where it comes from

Developed by Dr Russ Harris, ACT trainer and author of The Happiness Trap, who lists “circuit-breaker for compulsive or addictive behaviour” among its explicit uses. Harris’s own wording for the C is “Come back into your body” — many secondary sources render it as “Connect”, which is the popularised variant, not the primary.

How to do it

1. A — Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Silently and kindly, name what’s here: “I notice I’m having the urge to watch porn.” “I notice restlessness.” You’re not approving of it or arguing with it. You’re acknowledging that it’s present, the way you’d note weather.
2. C — Come back into your body. Push your feet hard into the floor. Straighten your spine. Press your fingertips together. Slow your out-breath. You’re not trying to escape the feeling — you’re reclaiming control of your arms and legs while it’s there.
3. E — Engage in what you’re doing. Look around and name five things you can see, three you can hear. Then re-engage with whatever you were actually doing, or choose something that matters. The anchor doesn’t stop the storm — it stops you being swept away by it.

Why it works on a porn urge

• The dangerous moment isn’t the urge itself — it’s the drift, the ten minutes of half-attention where you’re already moving toward it and not quite present for the decision. Dropping anchor ends the drift.
• It takes under a minute and can be repeated. Harris suggests three or four cycles, roughly two to three minutes, when it’s loud.
• It doesn’t require the urge to go away first. That’s the point: you can be anchored and still have the storm going on around you.

How WithAnchor does it

Drop Anchor is the app’s core tool and it’s one tap from anywhere — Home Screen, Lock Screen widget, the Action Button, or “Hey Siri, drop anchor.” No hunting through menus while it builds.

It’s one of six practices in the app — use one, use them all. There’s no order, no progression, and no badge at the end.