The HALT acronym includes the most significant stressors—hungry, angry, lonely, and tired—which are the most critical stressors on our bodies. It’s essential to check in with your body to regulate emotions and have healthy coping mechanisms when problems surface. Otherwise, the HALT stressors can impede recovery and facilitate relapse.

If you’re hungry, eat. If you’re angry, figure out the source and if there are solutions to mitigate feelings. If you’re lonely, reach out to someone - preferably in person via a support group or friend, but online is also acceptable. If you’re tired, go rest.

Get to the root of how you’re feeling. Ways to do this are journaling - writing about how you think can do wonders, talking to a friend or support group, taking a walk, meditating, listening to music, etc. Instead of fueling emotions with hormones that keep you feeling the way you think, try to slow down your mind by asking yourself, “Why do I feel this way?” That step alone can slow down the stress.

It will be hard to stay sober if you’re not taking care of yourself. Use HALT to measure your feelings and if your needs are being met. Rather than reacting impetuously to how you feel, use HALT to slow things down.

Grab the wheel, stay in control, and ensure your environment supports healthy emotions to avoid the HALT stressors.

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