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Your distraction techniques


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Hi everyone, 

 

I hope you’re all well. It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Scotland (which is rather rare) and I plan on taking my dog a massive walk! 
 

I thought I’d start a thread here on distraction techniques. There are times when the thoughts of OCD just get too much and I struggle to focus on my work or life, and in those moments it’s good to have distraction techniques to take my mind off things. 
 

I know personally that’s theres some things that work for me, and some that really don’t. For example, when I’m not stressed I love to play guitar, but when the OCD is strong I just can’t focus on this at all. However, watching a good film with a story helps to keep my mind distracted, and even better is playing 5 a side football, where for a full hour my mind is so busy focussing on the game that I hardly think about whatever it is that’s bothering me! (Although it’s hard to organise these games every weekday!)

 

I hope this thread will be a good place for you to share your distraction techniques with others, and maybe someone reading this will see a technique on here that they’ve not tried before, and it’ll work for them.

 

So please, share away what helps you get through these cloudy days.

 

L

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3 hours ago, Lewis96 said:

There are times when the thoughts of OCD just get too much and I struggle to focus on my work or life, and in those moments it’s good to have distraction techniques to take my mind off things. 

Hi Lewis, thankyou for this post.  I will stand with you on this one.  I am a big fan of distraction techniques being used as a tool to deal with OCD (there are other tools in my toolbox as well).

You said you were setting off on a massive walk (in Scotland).  That would be one of my top distractions.  Ben Hope in Sutherland is high on my list.  I can only do it virtually now using my Google map thing on here.  Walking seems to be a popular distraction and is often mentioned on these forums.

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Might be a bit strange, but I don't really have distraction techniques for OCD. I found that when I tried to do that, it would just be everywhere, there was no activity I could do to escape OCD. My way of dealing with it now is just Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). I just hit it head on as soon as it starts to become a problem and then after a little bit, I can get on with the rest of my day to then do the things I want to do.

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It can be really hard to find something that is distracting enough. For me watching TV (or other « passive » activities) doesn't necessarily work as my negative thoughts can still wander.
I have found that having to interact with other people (and especially people that are not aware of my current state of mind) is the most efficient. You have to really be there, to pay attention to what your friends (or colleagues, or whoever) are saying, etc. Playing board games, or a sport is certainly helpful. Also video games, jigsaw puzzles...Anything that requires focus really. It doesn't solve the OCD problem but it makes your brain work normally for a few minutes / hours and it sure helps !

P.S. : I'm from France and I love Scotland so much 😊

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I think that trying something new is one of my favourite distractions. It keeps my mind busy and is often the opposite of what OCD would want.
 

Getting outside and walking/running and having a chat with a friend.

I find going out into the garden helps too and looking at nature. 

Playing board games is also something that helps when I haven’t got much on or if I’m having a tough day.

Basically, anything mindful really helps and reminds me that I’m human and that the world is bigger than me 😊

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I find work a good distraction, I hate being alone in my thoughts even with the telly on in the background I can always feel my mind wonder off topic, back to the OCD. When I feel like that’s happening I’ll read my OCD based books, I’ve bought a couple from the OCD-UK website and there really good, really helpful too :) 

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3 hours ago, C3PO said:

It can be really hard to find something that is distracting enough. For me watching TV (or other « passive » activities) doesn't necessarily work as my negative thoughts can still wander.
I have found that having to interact with other people (and especially people that are not aware of my current state of mind) is the most efficient. You have to really be there, to pay attention to what your friends (or colleagues, or whoever) are saying, etc. Playing board games, or a sport is certainly helpful. Also video games, jigsaw puzzles...Anything that requires focus really. It doesn't solve the OCD problem but it makes your brain work normally for a few minutes / hours and it sure helps !

P.S. : I'm from France and I love Scotland so much 😊

I've seen some different ideas.

 With certain disorders like OCD and ADHD, it means that your mind is more active generally and with OCD it's more frontal lobes. So that level of over thinking over time plus the way modern tech inputs our minds continually means I feel like I need a lot of mental stimulation, not just to stop my mind wandering, but from getting bored.

I find it hard to watch films or read books any more, just not stimulating enough.

But I enjoy researching random topics, and activities that require full focus and concentration; gaming and motorbike at present.

Or I can just switch my mind off completely, sit by a river. I think meditation taught me that.

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Yes I guess we all have to find the right combination, depending on personalities and moments in life. The right thing to do is going on with your day but it can be quite exhausting when the anxiety is too high, or when you're not in good conditions (difficulties at work for instance). So that's when pleasant « distractions » help, not to get rid of the thoughts (as it would be counterproductive) but to « unlock » your stuck brain (like in the Four Steps). I've found that in these moments, if I manage to be myself even temporarily, it feels so good. Even if the anxiety comes back afterwards, that's a battle won. Of course if you feel bored it's not going to work and you have to find something else that works for you. I love to read or to watch a movie but sometimes it's not enough, my mind is somwhere else. 
Anyway you can't always be busy and in the end you have to learn to deal with thoughts and feelings, not to avoid them. Mindfulness and meditation are good ways to achieve that and reconnect with your « true » self.
All these combined with a good CBT, good sleep and a lot of kindness towards yourself...!

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I'm still trying to find techniques that work really well, but things that help a bit have been computer games because I have to think about it, and going to karate reaining because again I have to be present.

Sometimes watching a film or TV show works but sometimes it doesn't, it depends how bad things are. I enjoy walking massively but unless I'm listening to music, it just sort of feels like the quiet is setting a stage for my thoughts to do a full-blown performance.

Really enjoyed reading everyone else's ideas, I'm always trying more stuff!

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I know it’s my primitive fear based brain at work during thoughts so I change to my neocortex or logic brain by doing logic based things. Math was useful in my early days. 

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On 12/07/2022 at 19:17, C3PO said:

It can be really hard to find something that is distracting enough. For me watching TV (or other « passive » activities) doesn't necessarily work as my negative thoughts can still wander.
I have found that having to interact with other people (and especially people that are not aware of my current state of mind) is the most efficient. You have to really be there, to pay attention to what your friends (or colleagues, or whoever) are saying, etc. Playing board games, or a sport is certainly helpful. Also video games, jigsaw puzzles...Anything that requires focus really. It doesn't solve the OCD problem but it makes your brain work normally for a few minutes / hours and it sure helps !

P.S. : I'm from France and I love Scotland so much 😊

I am similar - interacting with others and interacting with video games or other similar things. Doing something active. Could be gardening or DIY with a clear end goal which will give a sense of accomplishment.  I think for both depression and anxiety conditions interactive activity is the key.

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1 hour ago, Angst said:

 I think for both depression and anxiety conditions interactive activity is the key.

Entirely agree on that.  I have started going back in to my local pub occasionally and having some banter there.  Last week we had a good conversation about long gone pubs of the town.  It was a night when I managed to come home and get a good night's sleep without checking this, that and the other like I sometimes do before bedtime.  The interaction with others had focussed my mind away from my OCD worries.

PS, that was just with drinking 0% abv beer!

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The interaction helps you being in the now. An active participant in the here and now of a conversation. Alert to the nuances of the conversation. The other things mentioned in the thread place you in the here and now. Doing things in your capacity and stretching you just a little. It is called ‘flow’ or ‘flow psychology’. It is one of the central pillars of something called ‘positive psychology’. And yes an everyday conversation can bring us back to ground.

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Compulsions are like a coping mechanism for stress. OCD is a stress induced disorder. So it would make sense to:

Avoid stress, e.g. avoid rush hour 

Dont add stress

find Alternative coping mechanisms 

Etc

 

 

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On 13/07/2022 at 18:31, gloomwood said:

I'm still trying to find techniques that work really well, but things that help a bit have been computer games because I have to think about it, and going to karate reaining because again I have to be present.

Sometimes watching a film or TV show works but sometimes it doesn't, it depends how bad things are. I enjoy walking massively but unless I'm listening to music, it just sort of feels like the quiet is setting a stage for my thoughts to do a full-blown performance.

Really enjoyed reading everyone else's ideas, I'm always trying more stuff!

Yes I think we all find activities that work for us. Modern humans have such large brains and such active minds. I find I need something that stimulates my mind to a high degree.

I have a few friends I talk to, one with ADHD, it's stimulating to talk with someone who is knowledgeable and can jump from subject to subject, that stimulates my mind. It's exciting.

A few writers do that like Slavoj Zizek. With PC games it's not just the level of mental engagement required but also a range of neurotransmitters are released into our systems.

So if I want to calm myself I'll play something like RD2, just out hunting and fishing, or if I'm stressed I'll play GTAV and have a good blow out.

With nature it can be calming, but if I open my eyes and also listen it's very stimulating. Our minds will switch off in a room we know, but by a river, the shimmering trees, the clouds, the water and the birds singing or quacking, is a form of stimulating chaos. Probably some soothing neurotransmitters released as well.

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I even feel like the most mundane tasks can be a good distraction. When I’m struggling with OCD, it makes me feel really low. I can easily just sit on the sofa for hours and ruminate. Sometimes just making myself get up and clean the kitchen helps so much! 
 

Also as @Summer9173said, work is a great distraction. I work with children so I don’t even have time to think 😂 but I wouldn’t have it any other way! 
 

I’m definitely one of those people who has to be constantly stimulated and busy to be happy. Gaming is a great one because it requires full attention. I love to paint too, always calms me 😊

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@auroramaple I think some things like overthinking can be hard to stop, especially if you've done it along time.

I dislike it when I start to think too much about the past, about mistakes I've made and still getting angry about things done to me. Getting anxious unecessarily.

I think it is possible to distract from (negative, in my case) thinking but it's also good to manage it.

Have you come across the book 'Drawing with the Right side of the Brain'?

She gives some simple techniques and exercises that teach you to switch your thinking mind off, and allows mindless creativity. You literally do a drawing without realising it.

She also talks about switching your over thinking to your subconscious. Leaving your conscious mind wonderfully blank.

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@howard I totally agree, when you’re so used to overthinking you can’t switch it off.

I haven’t heard of that book actually but it sounds very up my street! I love all things creative. Thank you so much for the suggestion, I’ll check it out 😊

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