For instance, if you find yourself worrying about the future, ask yourself, ”Can I do anything to fix this right now?” If the answer is yes, identify what you can do and take action. To practice accepting obsessive thoughts, plant yourself in the present and be realistic about what you do and don’t have control over. As you learn to accept your intrusive thoughts, you’ll have a much better chance of stopping them in their tracks. Rather than avoiding your thoughts, remind yourself that thoughts are just thoughts and nothing more. Attempting to avoid, escape, or suppress distressing thoughts ultimately strengthens them, making them worse and worse. The only way to cope with OCD thoughts is to practice acceptance. Accept that your thoughts are mostly out of your control. Jotting your thoughts down on paper can help you examine them, understand how they’re triggered, and identify the real problems contributing to your obsessions. The next time you notice rumination, tell yourself to stop.Īfter recognizing your negative thoughts, try writing them down. Like biting your nails or checking your phone every few minutes, obsessions and compulsive behaviors often happen unconsciously. Often, when you’re stuck in a cognitive loop, you’re engaging in a well-established habit. The first step to stopping obsessive thoughts from disrupting your daily life is to identify the thoughts. To stop obsessive thinking, with or without its associated compulsions, here’s what you can do. But when we begin to take obsessions literally or treat them as harmful, obsessive thoughts can lead to stress and anxiety. Unwanted, distressing thoughts are a normal part of human nature. In many cases, individuals experience an inability to control these distressing, intrusive thoughts, and their severity can range from mild and annoying to all-encompassing and debilitating.Īccording to the American Psychiatric Association, obsessive thoughts might take the form of negative self-talk (e.g., ”I’m not good enough”) to worry over small details (e.g., ”I forgot to lock the door”) to scarier thoughts, such as falling fatally ill (e.g., ”What if I have cancer?”) or hurting loved ones. Obsessive thinking is characterized by recurring thoughts that are often paired with negative judgments. Fortunately, learning how to recognize and cope with obsessive thoughts can help individuals improve their quality of life and take control of their mental health. Many people engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with obsessive thoughts, such as withdrawing from friends and family members, compulsive behaviors, and aggression. Obsessions are also typically accompanied by high stress and intense anxiety. When intrusive thoughts enter your mind, you’ll likely experience some level of discomfort, followed by attempts to avoid unwanted thoughts. Obsessive thoughts can have a significant and highly negative impact on your overall mood and day-to-day functioning. However, obsessive thoughts are far more persistent than day-to-day mental clutter. Everyone experiences distressing or unwanted thoughts from time to time.
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