Refocusing From OCD Intrusions Onto Something Nice

[taurean]

I had a great time this summer around half the week plus the weekend.

Two days a week i was working remotely from home, often from a shady place in the garden on laptop and mobile. And at weekends i would do a lot of gardening.

The neighbours cats would join me, occaskionall y my wife would visit . Sometimes 2 or 3 cats would be in different parts of the garden.

Its good to use images and memories like this as a refocus - coupled if we like with some breathing meditation whilst in a safe environment - like sitting in a chair or lying on a bed - not driving or operating machinery or other activity.

What nice scenes do others have which they can use in this way?

[Guest Charlotte]

There's a mindfulness technique that I use when really anxious - I try to observe five things that I can see, four that I can hear, three that I can feel, two that I can smell and one that I can taste. It's very quick but can be done anywhere.

I am wary of using refocussing too much - it's important to feel that anxiety, and whatever you do to refocus can transform itself into a compulsion. Anxiety is a nasty feeling, but it's just that... a feeling. It's important to be able to sit with it and know that it doesn't do harm.

Lottie

[evolve]

My exposure plan now is to carry a little card with two letters that trigger me and have a chime on my phone that goes off every hour to remind me to look at it and think the thought I want to avoid for about 15 seconds or so. Then in between just go back to what I'm doing and say if I'm in work and I start to feel overwhelmed then do something more pleasurable like go and get some coffee, go for a walk in the fresh air etc. but only if I'm struggling since feeling the anxiety is the whole point

Chris

[taurean]

There's a mindfulness technique that I use when really anxious - I try to observe five things that I can see, four that I can hear, three that I can feel, two that I can smell and one that I can taste. It's very quick but can be done anywhere.

I am wary of using refocussing too much - it's important to feel that anxiety, and whatever you do to refocus can transform itself into a compulsion. Anxiety is a nasty feeling, but it's just that... a feeling. It's important to be able to sit with it and know that it doesn't do harm.

Lottie

Those are good Lottie but I'd probably look to spread them out and shallow my breathing when doing them.

The refocusing, like labelling, has its fans and detractors - I definitely sit in the fan camp.

One thing I would do when getting a bit stressed or anxious at work would be to get up and go for a walk . I could actually leave the office to do this (if I wished) at any time as I had an outside role, but often i would just walk around the office, read the noticeboards, have a cup of a drink - and look to just be relaxed as I walked - untensing muscles.

For others, meditating with deep breathing in a safe environment is good to relax, and just imagining oneself as relaxed as an empty sock is good. Or a sleeping cat. Pick up a sleeping cat and it sags in the middle it's so relaxed.

[taurean]

My exposure plan now is to carry a little card with two letters that trigger me and have a chime on my phone that goes off every hour to remind me to look at it and think the thought I want to avoid for about 15 seconds or so. Then in between just go back to what I'm doing and say if I'm in work and I start to feel overwhelmed then do something more pleasurable like go and get some coffee, go for a walk in the fresh air etc. but only if I'm struggling since feeling the anxiety is the whole point

Chris

That's a good one Chris.

[taurean]

Mindfulness is a state wherein we just "be" in the moment without fear uoset distress we are calm and focused.

In this state our mind and body tend to operate in a calm and relaxed way. Modern CBT looks to use exposure and mindfulness tools with a view to restoring this state.