[Guest blog by SMART facilitator Michael Cupps]

Have you ever found yourself reacting to a situation almost automatically, like your body moved faster than your mind? Maybe it was a moment of stress, frustration, celebration, or loneliness. In recovery, these moments often feel like mental ambushes. A familiar emotion or setting appears, and suddenly, your brain jumps in with an answer: “I know what to do here. We’ve been through this before.” The problem is, that answer is often tied to old, destructive habits. But what if you could insert a simple pause. It often responds based on the remembered past, not what’s actually happening in the neural present.

That pause could be your greatest asset. Your superpower...