Recovery in Action | Sobriety Affirmations

Recovery in Action

Sobriety Affirmations

Daily words that meet you where you are: simple, grounded, and recovery-first. Use these as breath-sized reminders while you build a life you don’t need to escape from.

View affirmations Tools & book list

How to use these

Pick one affirmation for the day. Say it out loud. Write it on a sticky note. Set a phone reminder at breakfast, lunch, and before bed. Pair it with a tiny action. Repetition + action = change.

Micro-practice

HALT + Replace

HALT is a widely-used recovery check-in from 12-Step rooms and treatment settings: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. When any of these are high, risk rises. Meet the basic need first, then replace the old behavior with one tiny, doable action.

Hungry → eat protein + drink water; then text a safe person.
Angry → 90-second pause (physiology settles) + box breathing (see below).
Lonely → send a 30-second voice note; schedule a meeting or call; make brief, warm eye contact with a cashier or neighbor to break isolation; attend one meeting and say “I’m new/returning—could I get numbers?”
Tired → 10-minute nap or early bedtime ritual (screens down, tea).

Attribution: HALT is taught across AA/NA and many clinical programs as a practical relapse-prevention tool.

What box breathing looks like

Inhale for 4 counts.
Hold breath for 4 counts.
Exhale for 4 counts.
Hold for 4 counts before repeating.

Repeat for 3–5 minutes. This pattern helps regulate the nervous system and reduce stress reactivity.

Urge Surfing

Ride the wave (2–10 min)

From relapse-prevention research (Alan Marlatt, CBT), urges behave like waves: they rise, crest, and fall. By noticing sensations without acting, intensity passes.

Scan the body and label 3 sensations (tight jaw, buzzing hands, hot face).
Breathe 4 in / 6 out for ~10 rounds; longer exhales cue the parasympathetic system.
Silently repeat: “This is uncomfortable, not unbearable. I can ride it.”

Attribution: Urge surfing originates in Alan Marlatt’s mindfulness-based relapse prevention; also used in SMART Recovery and DBT skills groups.

Affirmations

Each affirmation is for one day. Cycle through all 24 days, then start again.

Day 1 — Healing is hard, and I’m doing it anyway.

Day 2 — Progress is still progress, no matter the pace.

Day 3 — I am building a life I don’t need to escape from.

Day 4 — One decision at a time, I’m rebuilding my life.

Day 5 — I am not my mistakes— I am my comebacks.

Day 6 — Even on my worst days, I don’t use.

Day 7 — I can do hard things for the next ten minutes.

Day 8 — My feelings are valid; my choices are my power.

Day 9 — I don’t do this alone—asking for help is strength.

Day 10 — Cravings rise, peak, and pass. I can ride the wave.

Day 11 — I choose honesty over hiding.

Day 12 — Rest is recovery. So is water. So is food.

Day 13 — Boundaries are an act of love—for me and others.

Day 14 — I am worthy of good things, even while I’m healing.

Day 15 — Slow is smooth. Smooth becomes steady.

Day 16 — I release the shame that kept me stuck.

Day 17 — Today I keep my word to myself.

Day 18 — My future self is grateful for this choice.

Day 19 — I don’t have to start over; I just keep going.

Day 20 — I can’t control everything; I can control the next step.

Day 21 — Grace, then grit. In that order.

Day 22 — I’m allowed to be new at this and still belong.

Day 23 — My people are stronger than my cravings.

Day 24 — I am sober today. That is everything.

Resources & Tools from trusted voices

These aren’t sponsors; they’re just helpful. Explore what fits, leave what doesn’t. Recovery is personal.

Alcoholics Anonymous (Big Book)

Classic 12-Step approach emphasizing fellowship, inventory, amends, and daily practice. Try the 24-Hour Plan and One Day at a Time mantra.

Tool: Find a sponsor + daily meeting commitment (30 in 30).
Phrase: “Do the next right thing.”

Narcotics Anonymous

Twelve-Step recovery for people recovering from drug addiction, focusing on fellowship and a program of action.

SMART

SMART Recovery

Evidence-based, non-12-Step program using CBT/REBT skills.

Tool: DISARM (disarm addictive self-talk), ABC thought record, Urge Surfing.
Practice: Build a Daily Activities List to replace using times.

Gabor Maté — In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

Trauma-informed lens: addiction as an attempt to soothe pain. Healing focuses on connection, compassion, and nervous-system regulation.

Tool: Name the pain you’re medicating; meet the need directly.
Practice: 3-minute compassion break (hand on heart + kind phrase).

Johann Hari — Chasing the Scream, Lost Connections

Emphasizes belonging, purpose, and social connection as antidotes to despair and compulsive use.

Tool: Connection calendar (1 small reach-out daily).
Practice: Volunteer 1 hour/week; join a group with shared values.

Annie Grace — This Naked Mind

Deconstructs alcohol’s “promise” with neuroscience and reframes. Builds freedom through awareness, not white-knuckling.

Tool: Belief audit (list 5 benefits you think alcohol gives; counter each with truths).
Practice: 30-day alcohol experiment, journal daily.

Allen Carr — Easy Way

Cognitive reframing to remove desire, not rely on willpower.

Tool: “Nothing to give up” script—flip scarcity to freedom.

James Clear — Atomic Habits

Tiny changes, remarkable results. Make it obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.

Tool: Habit loop redesign + implementation intentions (“If it’s 7:30pm, then I make tea”).

BJ Fogg — Tiny Habits

Shrink the behavior until it fits. Anchor to an existing routine; celebrate immediately.

Tool: After I brush, I text my check-in emoji to a sober friend.

JKZ

Jon Kabat-Zinn — Mindfulness

Present-moment training lowers stress reactivity and craving intensity.

Tool: 3-minute breathing space when triggered.

Russell Brand — Recovery

Accessible 12-Step reinterpretation with spiritual/practical emphasis.

Tool: Daily inventory—Who did I help? Where was I honest? Where do I owe amends?

Quick worksheets

Each worksheet is a simple practice you can try immediately. They are designed to give structure and remind you that change happens one small step at a time.

My 24-Hour Plan

This is a staple in many recovery programs: focus only on today. Plan your morning, midday, and evening actions to keep yourself steady.

Morning: affirmation + water + food.
Midday: 5-minute walk + check-in text.
Evening: meeting/podcast + reflect 3 wins.

How to: Write the three time blocks on a note in your phone. Set reminders. Check off each item as you go.

Trigger Map → Replacement

List your common triggers, the feelings they bring, and the old behavior. Then plan a new replacement action. Writing it down trains your brain to look for alternatives.

Trigger → Feeling → Old behavior → New tiny action.
Example: Lonely → scroll → drink → text ally + tea.

How to: Keep a running list in your notes app. When a trigger happens, try your new action within 60 seconds.

Belief Audit

From Annie Grace’s This Naked Mind: list the things you believe about substances (like “Alcohol helps me relax”). Challenge each belief by writing three truer statements you can prove this week.

“Alcohol helps me relax.” → “Breathing lowers my heart rate faster.”
Write 3 alternative truths to test.

How to: Pick one belief per week. Run tiny experiments (e.g., 5 minutes of breathing) and jot what actually happened.

Connection Plan

Johann Hari’s research highlights that connection is the opposite of addiction. Build a plan to connect daily, weekly, and monthly.

Daily: message one safe person.
Weekly: meeting or group.
Monthly: service/volunteer.

How to: Make a 7-day “connection calendar.” Pre-type two check-in texts so reaching out is one tap away.

Disclaimer: Recovery in Action (RIA) shares educational content and peer support. This page is not medical advice. If you’re in crisis, call or text 988 (US) for 24/7 help.

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