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Simple Refocus Exercises


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Refocusing is how we shift away from the unwanted scrutiny under the lens that OCD forces upon us.

A good position seems to be to ensure the refocus does not become a compulsion in itself.

What good and involved refocus ideas do you find helpful?.

My "windowshopping" one works well, and can either be done in reality of mentally.

Its a mindful approach - and either way it is done must be undertaken in a safe environment, not driving operating machinery or having other responsibilities.

Just go to your favourite street start walking and take in all your surroundings. See the shops stores and cafes, the customers the goods in the windows.

Let pressure ease away by letting it ooze out of your limbs your eyes your chest your face - feel lighter with a spring in your step.

Return home calm relaxed and with a new therapy aid in stock.

Edited by taurean
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I think that window shopping is a good idea.if i am in town and imersed in reality it makes my bad thoughts seem a bit less likely.

I often mentally plan a menu that helps too

Good idea for a thread Taurean.

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Any other nice refocuses folks.

On a train I can pass the time by letting my mind take in just the scene rolling past. It is calming and I simply observe then let go of what I see.

It also is helpful in helping me see the benefits of doing this with thought intrusions.

Another nice technique on the train is to look for certain things to appear eg in urban areas on an unknown journey, what trees, types of houses, cars, paint colours, roofs.

Edited by taurean
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Put your iPod (other devices are available) on Shuffle and turn up the volume. It's nice to do if you're out walking.

Take a camera out with you, or use the one on your smartphone if you're lucky enough to have one. Look for the small, interesting details in things. Helps to keep me occupied.

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Put your iPod (other devices are available) on Shuffle and turn up the volume. It's nice to do if you're out walking.

Take a camera out with you, or use the one on your smartphone if you're lucky enough to have one. Look for the small, interesting details in things. Helps to keep me occupied.

Great ideas thanks Heryn.

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You'll hate mine.....but tackling the ironing always works for me. Even my Husband's noticed!! When I'm off it tasks get left, the washing gets done but the ironing becomes its own version of Everest. Aiming to get to the bottom of the mound, doing some every day....at least an hour works for me, my focus shifts.

Just completed a mound today. No washing in the linen basket, no ironing to do either.....till next time :D

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If you have one, mow a lawn in spring/summer.

It needs all your focus to achieve a nice surface - then you need to trim it.

And once you've done that, refreshment and a chill-out beckon.

I like to write. Open a word document, use your imagination, and go for it.....

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You'll hate mine.....but tackling the ironing always works for me. Even my Husband's noticed!! When I'm off it tasks get left, the washing gets done but the ironing becomes its own version of Everest. Aiming to get to the bottom of the mound, doing some every day....at least an hour works for me, my focus shifts.

Just completed a mound today. No washing in the linen basket, no ironing to do either.....till next time :D

My wife's favourite is the whole washing process. She can out a load on, do something else, put that in the condenser dryer, puf another wash load on.

Then the ironing to do.

Really helps her regain equilibrium.

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Checking the car fluids and cleaning the windows and the interior.

I cheat with the tyres - they are fitted with gizmo valve caps that show green if the tyre is the right pressure.

I can play the car stereo, chat with the neighbours - takes me out of myself.

Watch a quiz show. I like eggheads as you get multiple choice questions, but most ones steer my brain into a nice place of searching for the quiz answers, not ruminating.

Audience-participation tv is good - talent competions especially.

Edited by taurean
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Guest yinyang

I find coming onto the forum and concentrating on other people's problems for a bit a welcome distraction.

Photography.

Also watching Breaking Bad, there's so many episodes!

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One I quite like and find helpful is (outside of ERP) to just 'blank" the upsetting thing that is standing in your way.

I find the giant tv screens at stations annoying - the producer can suddenly cut to something quite distressing.

So I look to "blank" them - just not take in what they are displaying.

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Just consider how the ocean looks when a storm is in force. See how waves tear around and rain comes down in sheets.

Then imagine you can look below - drop your view until you sea the calm layers beneath.

See how those layers underneath are just benign.

When we hit storms we need to face them out without connecting. Then we can look underneath, see the calm and lift it up so it spreads over our storm.

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I like warmth. It helps when I feel tense and uptight.

When things get bad and people use words or phrases with bad connotations that I find distressing, I look to steer obsessional thinking away by weaning focus towards the joyous. Taking a walk, exercise, smelling seeing feeling - just a nudge in a better directio

Nit easy amid mmeta

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Reframe then steering along a different path.

Works very well for cognitive distortions such as all or nothing thinking - e.g. make one little mistake and we are useless.

See the error of the statement, choose a more appropriate meaning then shift focus to you in that interpretation.

Very powerful.

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