Instead of trying to suppress it, engage yourself in an activity or diver your attention to something else to help shake it. RELATED: No Mud, No Lotus: Why Growth Can’t Happen Without Self-Acceptance First However, the more we try to suppress intrusive thoughts, the more we end up thinking about them. This may sound counterintuitive, especially since the natural reaction to an intrusive thought is to try and forget about it. Allow the Thought to Happen – Then Move on Here are a few tactics to help manage intrusive thoughts when they arise. Thoughts about committing a crime or hurting someone – even though these are things you would never do – are typical intrusive thoughts as well. Acts of Violence or Criminal Activity (Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash)
While mindfulness can be a challenging skill to learn, it is a great way to beat your intrusive thoughts.Sexual thoughts about a person you’re not even attracted to, but that would be embarrassing or detrimental to your current life if they were to happen are commonly reported intrusive thoughts. Yoga and meditation are great ways to practice mindfulness. This will help you stay grounded when you start to have intrusive thoughts or if they get worse. Practice mindfulness.Įngage in activities that force you to be more mindful or more present. Studies show that it can boost your mood even if you laugh on purpose. So try to make fun of your OCD, attend a comedy show, watch a silly YouTube video clip, find a funny filter on Snapchat, or simply spend some time catching up with an old friend and just laugh out loud. It releases beta-endorphins, creating a feeling of euphoria. The content of these intrusive thoughts can be so catastrophic and even outrageously silly sometimes that you just need to laugh. Omega 3- fatty acids and foods that contain complex protein or are high in protein can also help with improving concentration and mood. Certain foods and supplements can help with reducing anxiety and staying calm such as Probiotics and foods high in Vitamin B and Tryptophan. It is important to stay hydrated so drink lots of water. When it comes to what you eat, stay away from processed foods and sweets and try to avoid alcohol, coffee and other caffeinated drinks. Exercising also helps with getting good night’s sleep (which is also important for managing anxiety). Did you know that even a brisk 10-minute walk can give you several hours of relief and can provide a similar effect as taking aspirin? Every week, get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity, like taking a brisk walk, or 75 minutes of a vigorously intense activity, such as jogging or swimming laps, or a mixture of the two. Make physical activity and good nutrition part of your lifestyle. The only way to get better at managing your intrusive thoughts, is to practice, practice, practice! Practice equals persistence. You cannot take a break from your OCD and to expect to do so would be like expecting a medical patient to take a break from their cancer or diabetes.
Any amount of exposure practice is better than none. I recommend doing this for 20 – 30 minutes at the end of the day or when distractions are minimal. Schedule daily exposure time to deliberately provoke the thought.ĭesignate a specific amount of time each day to repeatedly think intrusive thoughts on purpose while not engaging in any compulsions and avoidances.
This is just OCD playing tricks on you! So instead of rejecting the thought, accept it and learn to embrace it! Tell yourself, “A thought is just a thought.” 2. Trying to push it away or avoid thinking it will inadvertently send a message to your brain that having this thought is a real threat and that you need to get rid of it. What happens when you try to control the intrusive thought? It strengthens the thought and prolongs your anxiety. What may seem like minor behavior changes, can add up to greatly improve your standard of living.
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