5 Tips to Lessen OCD
Many people living with OCD can find it difficult to manage their negative thoughts. This results in obsessive actions and thoughts that can control your life. Anxiety is a main cause of OCD, but there are available ways to manage your anxiety and obsessions to retain a normal life.
- Try not to dwell on fearful thoughts that enter your mind. For people that suffer from OCD, thoughts are constant and probing. In order to retain normalcy it is essential that you learn how to not dwell on provoking thoughts. The more you concentrate on a thought, the greater the fear associated with that thought becomes. If you can learn to manage your thoughts, you will be on your way to living normally.
- Visualize a certain object every time an obsessive thought enter your mind. For example, visualize a red stop sign every time a negative thought begins to swirl in your mind. This will enable you to remind yourself to not focus on this thought. After you visualize a symbol to remind yourself to stop, you can then focus on a positive thought to help you calm your anxiety.
- Many OCD sufferers find it beneficial to keep a book of positive statements with them at all times. This will allow you to read uplifting messages whenever overwhelming thoughts begin. Therefore, whenever anxiety begins to rise, you can simply read the inspirational words you have written to calm your nerves and steady your thoughts.
- If you suffer from OCD the most important thing you can do to lessen your symptoms is to take a break. Don’t push yourself to hard, because this will only lead to more anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. Know your limits and allow yourself time to breathe and relax. Try to do fun activities that can allow you to rest and enjoy yourself. This can include listening to music or reading books.
- Seek the help of a professional to guide you along your path to recovery and to monitor your progress. A trained professional will be able to listen to your fear and anxieties, but also be able to evaluate your fears and help you manage them. They can give you information and insight that can assist you in lessening your OCD to manageable levels. OCD will always be a constant struggle, but there are ways to manage your thoughts and lessen your symptoms of OCD.