10 Things to Do When You Feel Tempted to Use

🎧 Listen to:

10 Things to Do When You Feel Tempted to Use

Temptation is a signal, not a failure. To interrupt the craving, you need immediate, intentional action. Use the 15-Minute Rule as your foundation, then implement active strategies like Moving Your Body, Calling a Sober Contact, and the Sensory Reset to buy time and protect your sobriety in Philly or Florida.

Temptation is not a sign of failure—it is a signal that you are facing stress and need to implement a safety plan.

When the craving hits, it demands an immediate “yes.” For years, that immediate “yes” was using. Now, in recovery, you need immediate, intentional actions to interrupt that command. This requires preparation.

Whether you’re navigating the complex city life in Philadelphia or dealing with quiet loneliness in a Florida apartment, the rules of interruption remain the same.

At Essence Recovery Center, we equip our clients with a mental toolkit for these urgent moments. When the internal alarm sounds, you do not have to give in. You only need to follow this list and buy yourself 15 minutes of safe time.

Here are 10 things you can do immediately when you feel tempted to use:

  1. Implement the 15-Minute Rule: Promise yourself that you will wait just 15 minutes before acting on the urge. Cravings are like waves—they peak and then subside. During that 15 minutes, do nothing but focus on the next step on this list. Once the time is up, the intensity will almost always be lower.
  2. Move Your Body Immediately: Cravings create restless, painful energy. You need to move that energy out. Go for a brisk walk, do ten push-ups, or run up and down a flight of stairs. Change your physiology to break the mental loop.
  3. Change Your Scenery: The environment is a huge trigger. Do not stay where you are. If you are sitting, stand up. If you are inside, go outside. Drive to a different neighborhood, or simply walk into the kitchen. Physical displacement interrupts the automatic response chain.
  4. Call or Text a Sober Contact: Connection is the fastest antidote to addiction. Text your sponsor, a recovery friend, or someone from Essence and say, “I am having a massive urge right now.” You don’t have to talk long, but sharing the temptation immediately cuts its power.
  5. Ground Yourself (5-4-3-2-1): This sensory exercise brings you back to the present moment, pulling you out of panic: 5 things you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.
Tempted to Use Recovery Toolkit Using the 5 4 3 2 1 grounding technique.
  1. Engage Your Brain with a Task: Distraction works best when it requires concentration. Start a puzzle, calculate your budget for the week, or work on a sudden, demanding chore like cleaning the entire fridge. Make your brain too busy for the craving.
  2. Sensory Reset (Temperature): Intense temperature change can immediately disrupt a stress response. Splash cold water on your face, hold an ice cube in your hand, or take a quick cold shower. This is a physiological shock that resets your nervous system.
  3. Write a “Brain Dump”: Take five minutes and write down every single thought and feeling that is cycling through your head—the guilt, the anger, the fear. Do not try to make sense of it; just get it out on paper. This externalizes the crisis and helps you process the real stressor.
  4. Read Recovery Literature: Open a Big Book, your favorite daily devotional, or a passage from a recovery guide. Focusing on a positive, familiar message reinforces your commitment and reminds you that millions of people have successfully moved through this exact moment.
  5. Check Your Daily Commitment: Look at your plans for tomorrow and remind yourself what you are fighting for. Your job, your family, your ability to walk the boardwalk on the Gulf Coast, or see the sights in Philly. Recommit to your sobriety for the next 24 hours only.

If you are struggling to follow these steps, remember that Essence Recovery Center provides compassionate support and structured programs across Florida and Philadelphia to help you build this toolkit. Your life is waiting—we are here to help you protect it.