Here are 5 effective strategies you can incorporate into your life to reduce the impact of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Whether you are personally facing this challenge or have a loved one struggling with OCD, these suggestions can provide valuable support and relief.
- Practice Mindfulness and Meditation Techniques to Help Manage Intrusive Thoughts and Compulsions
Mindfulness and meditation techniques can increase your awareness of thoughts and feelings, giving you some insight, and allowing you to accept them without judgment. This can be particularly helpful for managing intrusive thoughts and compulsions. I know it’s easier said than done. Treating OCD requires hard work. By creating a new habit of being mindful of your thoughts and evaluating the fears behind them, you can gain insight and learn to tame them. Meditation and breathwork have been extremely beneficial for me. During a breathwork session with affirmations, I realized that I could move forward and leave OCD behind, keeping it at a distance. This realization led me to explore the power of changing thoughts. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort and exploring. We all have the potential to find our own way of coping with OCD. We just need to find the way in ourselves. - Implement a Structured Routine and Schedule to Reduce Anxiety and Gain a Sense of Control
A structured routine and schedule can help you reduce anxiety by providing a sense of predictability and control. This can be especially important for individuals with OCD, who may feel a heightened need for control. Microplanning may not be suitable for everyone, but utilizing tools such as apps like Sectograph or a simple paper block can help you. By incorporating breathwork and meditation into your schedule, you can ensure regular practice. You squeeze them in your day, do them every day, and you get better at them. It’s important to remember that progress may fluctuate. Some days may be easier than others, but it’s all part of the journey. We can’t be happy all the time as well as we can’t have the best meditation all the time. You just don’t “feel it” sometimes. It’s crucial to find a balance between staying busy and allowing time for calm breathwork sessions. The results will gradually become evident, and you will notice improvements in your well-being. - Engage in Regular Exercise and Physical Activity to Reduce Stress and Promote Overall Well-Being
Regular exercise and physical activity have long been recognized for their ability to reduce stress and promote overall well-being. Exercise positively affects mood and can effectively manage anxiety and depression. Starting a workout routine can be challenging, particularly when your motivation is low. But incorporating exercise as a regular part of your schedule is beneficial. Personally, I recently started boxing in my garage, and the energy it provides has been remarkable. I’m a complete noob – never boxed in my life. But I don’t ever want to go back to my life without boxing. It’s a new and highly physical activity that requires focus on the movements, combos, and breathing, leaving little room for OCD thoughts. It’s very similar when I play the guitar. It’s another activity that helps divert attention from OCD. I focus on the playing, not OCD. Keeping yourself occupied is essential, but remember to strike a balance. Incorporating breathwork and meditation alongside other activities will provide a comprehensive approach to coping with OCD. Have your calendar full of activities but make some space for a calm breathwork session, too. You’ll see the results, and you’ll feel that you’re getting better. - Join a Support Group or Find a Community of Individuals Who Understand and Can Offer Support and Encouragement
Joining a support group or finding a community of individuals who understand what you’re going through can be a valuable source of support and encouragement. Connecting with others who share similar experiences allows you to exchange strategies managing OCD symptoms. You can learn a thing or two. This is why I believe in keeping this blog alive and creating a community. To make us feel welcome and understand OCD a little better. I believe that sharing experiences is one of the most valuable tools for coping with OCD. Personally, I found it really helpful reading about other people’s OCD problems and realizing that I’m not alone in facing similar challenges. I realized that sharing my OCD with the world helped me cope better, diminishing its power over me. It’s not my secret anymore. I share and it loses its power over me. By sharing, we normalize our experiences and diminish the hold OCD has on us. I encourage you to share within your own community and beyond. It can be exceptionally helpful.
Share in the comments and let’s have a discussion. - Changing Your Diet
I am experimenting with changes in my diet right now. I am reducing carbs & sugars as much as possible. The intrusive thoughts and compulsions have significantly reduced. I don’t know if it’s because of this change, which is very big to me (trust me), but my OCD symptoms have decreased significantly. And I’ve been suffering from OCD for more than 24 years. It seems there’s a big connection with the food we eat. Science has made progress in understanding the connection between the gut and psychological problems. What we eat can affect how we feel. In future posts, I will delve deeper into this topic, sharing relevant publications and their excerpts and links on the Nerd Literature page. There are fascinating opinions in this field. We can experience it for ourselves. When I consume something unhealthy and bad (in my case, sugary things – the cheapest chocolate options are my weakness) I feel like 💩. Not only do I know that I’ve done something bad to my body, but I also start feeling bad about myself. This effect becomes noticeable hours after consuming the unhealthy food. It appears that there is a connection. It’s worth exploring further.
Give it a try and change your eating habits. Eating sugary snacks all the time? Refrain from consuming them for a day and replace them with activities like going for a walk, listening to music, or engaging in physical activities such as doing push-ups whenever you feel the urge to snack. Change your patterns and your head won’t have time to create intrusive scenarios.
Bonus tip: Seek Professional Help from a Therapist or Psychiatrist Who Specializes in Treating OCD.
This is the sixth item on the list I want to focus on in the future. I won’t get into details here. I believe it deserves exploration and attention in a separate post. I don’t have much experience with this approach. I lost trust in “professionals” a long time ago. However, I will give it a try for the sake of exploring all possible ways that could help and hopefully find satisfactory results.
Seeking help from a mental health professional who specializes in OCD can provide a tailored treatment plan to address your specific needs. Treatment for OCD typically involves a combination of therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes (I hope I provided some lifestyle insights with the previous points).
It’s essential to find a specialist in the field of OCD to ensure the most effective treatment approach.
There you have it. 5 things that I have discovered help me cope with OCD.
It took me a long time to incorporate them into my daily schedule. Initially, I even doubted their effectiveness. But once I mustered the courage to give them a try, I witnessed a gradual improvement in my mental health. It’s been a journey of ups and downs, but these strategies truly make a difference. I understand how challenging it can be to change our ways when we are dealing with OCD.
I have been struggling with OCD for over 24 years, essentially for as long as I can remember (I’m currently 34 years old). I wish I had started coping with OCD earlier, but it took me this long to take steps toward a happier future. I encourage you to begin your journey today.
Feel free to leave a comment or send me a message. I welcome any thoughts or questions you may have.
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