Thankful Thinking
A simple daily practice of listing 3 things you’re grateful for.
What is a gratitude list?
A common recovery strategy for avoiding alcohol at gatherings.
What is bringing your own drink?
A healthy limit you set to protect your wellbeing.
What is a boundary?
statement recognizing the Indigenous people whose land we are on.
What is a land acknowledgement?
A stress-relieving action that takes only 10 seconds and uses your lungs.
What is deep breathing?
Complete the phrase: “Progress, not ______.”
What is perfection?
Feeling thankful activates this part of the brain that supports motivation and recovery.
What is the reward system (dopamine pathway)?
When you plan what you’ll say if someone offers you a drink.
What is a refusal script?
A tool that helps you notice family patterns without taking them personally.
What is detachment?
The original inhabitants of the U.S.
Who are Native/Indigenous peoples?
This coping skill helps you stay present in the moment.
What is grounding?
Name one sign someone may be slipping toward relapse.
What is isolation, irritability, skipping meetings, etc.?
Name one mental health benefit of gratitude.
What is improved mood, reduced stress, or better sleep? (Any one)
Name one way to leave a triggering holiday situation politely.
What is taking a walk, stepping outside, or politely excusing yourself?
Name one boundary someone might set at Thanksgiving.
What is “Please don’t bring up my recovery/weight/past,” etc.?
One purpose of a land acknowledgement.
What is showing respect, connection to history, or cultural awareness?
A creative coping skill that uses imagination to escape overwhelm.
What is visualization?
A Thanksgiving-related trigger that some people may experience.
What is family conflict, alcohol around, or holiday stress?
This phrase describes finding something good in a hard situation.
What is “silver lining thinking”?
A grounding tool that helps avoid impulsive urges (acronym).
What is HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)?
This type of communication uses “I-statements” to express needs.
What is assertive communication?
The term for learning which tribal nation originally lived on your local land.
What is tribal homeland identification?
A relapse prevention skill involving identifying triggers ahead of time.
What is trigger mapping?
This internal skill protects recovery when external triggers are strong.
What is self-awareness?
One grounding exercise where you identify things you can see, smell, hear, taste, and feel.
What is the 5–4–3–2–1 technique?
This recovery slogan reminds you to focus only on today.
What is “One Day at a Time”?
A dysfunctional family role where someone keeps the peace and avoids conflict.
What is the peacemaker?
One way to honor Indigenous communities beyond just a land acknowledgement.
What is supporting Native-led organizations, learning accurate history, etc.?
When you pause before responding, allowing your brain time to think.
What is the STOP skill?
S
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Combining cultural reflection, gratitude, and personal history supports this recovery concept.
What is identity-building or healing your story?