taurean Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 (edited) 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 November 27, 2015 by taurean Link to comment
taurean Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 Make sure you remain alert to any danger though - keep a watchful eye on traffic, junctions street and shop activities, and others . Link to comment
ecomum Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 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. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) 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 November 28, 2015 by taurean Link to comment
Guest Heryn! Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 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. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 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. Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 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 Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 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..... Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Logic puzzles....they take 200% concentration Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 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 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. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) 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 November 28, 2015 by taurean Link to comment
taurean Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 Get hobbying. Cooking, crafting, science, birdwatching, DIY, any beneficial thing. Join a club with like-minded people. Link to comment
DRFCno1 Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Noooooo!!! Shopping makes my anxiety rocket. ? The train is a good one or I find going to a football match and absorbing myself in the atmosphere. Link to comment
ecomum Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Doncaster rovers by any chance? Link to comment
Guest yinyang Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 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! Link to comment
taurean Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 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. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 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. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Go somewhere (in reality or mentally or on tv) where you can get fully involved in what you are doing or watching. Be gripped by it, get stuck in. Link to comment
DRFCno1 Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Yes ecomum you're spot on! ??? Link to comment
taurean Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Go to a sports bar and simply focus on the enjoyment of the sport. Link to comment
Handy Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Jump into a cold body of water. Such a temperature change most surely work. Link to comment
Caramoole Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Jump into a cold body of water. Such a temperature change most surely work. Give it a go then Handy and report back! No Rush Link to comment
taurean Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 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 Link to comment
taurean Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 Sorry about scrambled last sentence - not easy was the message. Link to comment
taurean Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 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. Link to comment
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