Recovery Life Collective

Skills & Strategies

Evidence-based tools for managing urges, emotions, and building a life worth protecting.

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In My Toolkit

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Practiced Today

29

Total Skills

Build My Recovery Strategy

Add skills to your toolkit to build your personal recovery strategy

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Urge Surfing

Ride the wave โ€” don't fight it

Beginner10โ€“20 min
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DEADS Technique

Five exit ramps from a craving

Beginner5โ€“15 min
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HALT Check

Four hidden craving triggers to catch first

Beginner2โ€“5 min
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Urge Tracking Journal

Decode your patterns, defuse their power

Beginner5 min per entry
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5-4-3-2-1 Grounding

Anchor yourself to the present moment in under 2 minutes

Beginner2โ€“5 min
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Box Breathing

Reset your nervous system in 4 equal counts

Beginner4โ€“8 min
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TIPP Skills

Change your body chemistry to change your emotional state

Beginner5โ€“20 min
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Self-Compassion Break

Treat yourself like you'd treat a good friend

Beginner5โ€“10 min
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Thought Record

Examine the story your mind tells you

Intermediate10โ€“20 min
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Catch Your Cognitive Distortions

Name the thinking trap โ€” shrink its power

Intermediate5โ€“10 min
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Values Clarification

Recovery built on your values is built to last

Intermediate20โ€“30 min
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Cost-Benefit Reframe

See the full ledger, not just the short side

Beginner10โ€“15 min
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Pleasant Events Scheduling

Build joy deliberately โ€” it's not optional in recovery

Beginner30 min to plan, ongoing
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Opposite Action

Act against the emotion's command โ€” change how you feel from the outside in

Intermediate5โ€“30 min
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Behavioral Experiment

Test your assumptions instead of assuming them

Intermediate1โ€“7 days
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Change Plan Worksheet

From intention to action โ€” your personal change roadmap

Intermediate30โ€“45 min
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The Reaching Out Protocol

Connection is the opposite of addiction

Beginner5โ€“10 min
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Recovery Support Network Map

Know exactly who you can call before you need them

Beginner20โ€“30 min
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Daily Accountability Check-In

A 5-minute daily anchor that changes everything

Beginner5 min
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Gratitude & Growth Practice

Train your brain to notice what's working

Beginner5โ€“10 min
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The Habit Loop

Every habit runs on the same three-part circuit

Beginner10 min
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Choose a Keystone Habit

One habit that ripples into everything else

Beginner20โ€“30 min
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Start Ridiculously Small

So easy it feels almost embarrassing โ€” that's exactly the point

Beginner5 min to design
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Implementation Intentions

When X happens, I will do Y โ€” the most powerful habit trigger known

Beginner10 min
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Habit Stacking

Attach a new habit to an existing one โ€” and let momentum do the work

Beginner15 min to design
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Design Your Environment

Make good habits easy. Make bad habits hard. Do this once, benefit forever.

Beginner30โ€“60 min
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Build the Chain & Never Miss Twice

Don't break the chain. And when you do โ€” never miss twice.

Beginner1โ€“2 min per day
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Catch Your Mental Loopholes

Your brain has 9 built-in excuses โ€” know them before they outsmart you

Intermediate5 min when a loophole appears
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Commit, Account & Plan for Failure

Make it public. Make the stakes real. Plan your comeback before you need it.

Intermediate20โ€“30 min to set up

Skills get stronger with practice.

You don't have to master every skill โ€” find 3โ€“5 that work for you and use them consistently. That's your recovery strategy.

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