- Date posted
- 2y
Tips
Any tips on how to let things go? It’s the weekend and I’m perseverating on work conflicts. Combo or perseverating and guilt ocd. No physical compulsions on this just mental anguish.
Any tips on how to let things go? It’s the weekend and I’m perseverating on work conflicts. Combo or perseverating and guilt ocd. No physical compulsions on this just mental anguish.
Well... This might sound crazy but the other night I walked out into the snowing weather with no shoes and just a bit of clothes and stood out there until my brain no longer paid attention to what I was obsessing over, but instead paid attention to how cold my feet were and how I wanted to go inside. That 3 or so minutes in the freezing cold helped me to break from my sympathetic nervous system and get into a different head space. I was actually perseverating (you taught me a new word) on work as well. If you can't do an ice bath like that, cardio helps to get into the body. Something like running, biking, or really anything that just gets your heart and respiratory system going, even jumping jacks. Yoga helps force you to feel your body, even the kind of painful bodily feelings, which can bring up emotions and help you process them and calm the mind. Meditating can help you observe the mind while letting it do its thing while you watch without judgment. Getting into a manual task like deep cleaning a room, a physical project like building a model, anything that takes less mind and more physical action. Exposures are going to be the best method. I don't know if you have a therapist to guide you through them but you can at least come up with your own mental exposures and try to do it yourself. Getting out of the house also could be a great idea. I think what I'm getting at is exposures are always #1, but getting into your body and out of your head as much as you can is a helpful addition.
Thank you so much for such a lengthy response. I actually got a little emotional reading it and how thorough it is. I’ve done extensive erp for my compulsions but I’m not as sure on how to do them on mental obsessions and regulations of emotional responses. I just bought a book on pure o that I hope will give some insight. It took a long time to conquer the physical compulsions and I never thought that would be possible so I guess there is some hope there. I know exercise is key but I’ve been having difficulty motivating this winter. I’m hoping your reminder will give me a jump start. I can definitely try shocking my system with the cold. Thank you so much
If you try shocking your system with cold, just be safe about it. I wasn't out for long, and I don't suggest going out and getting frost bite ☺️ you can alternatively take an ice bath (I would look up how to do this). But all of those other options for getting out of your head are also good choices. I understand not being motivated to exercise. Maybe think of it as a survival response at the moment. Instead of making yourself establish a workout routine for the long term, maybe agree to doing it for the next day or two to get you out of your head space. Then at least you've done it, even if you forget to do it in 3 or 4 days.
I recommend ACT exercises, for example "Dropping anchor" (check you tube) it helos me a lot with my mental activity.
I'm wondering if this is a common OCD experience: does anyone else find that when you have idle time, your mind just spirals into endless rumination on negative "what ifs" & intrusive thoughts? It's been happening to me for the past three years, which coincides with starting a really high-stress job. Weekends used to be my time to relax, but now I dread weekends...I only feel relief when I'm sleeping because it's the only time my mind seems to quiet down. It's honestly so depressing to lose that enjoyment. Does anyone else relate to this, and if so, what helps you cope?
Hi All, just wondering if anyone here has any tips with dealing with uncertainty? My OCD centres on my being worried that I have committed a crime and can’t remember doing so, I was out last weekend and my mind is telling me I attacked somebody as I got an intrusive thought to do so when passing them in a bar, my therapist says I need to sit with the uncertainty that maybe I did and maybe I didn’t and have to be ok with that But if the answer is yes then how can I be ok with committing a crime and going to jail??, it’s affecting my relationship and I’m going on holiday on Friday and I’m worried it will ruin that, any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I've been having a really tough time lately with a recent workplace interaction that occurrd today, and my mind just keeps replaying the events over and over. It feels like an endless loop, and I'm finding it incredibly hard to let go. I'm trying to figure out if this intense replaying is more about my OCD, or if it's a typical reaction to a stressful situation that's being amplified by my OCD tendencies. The specific details of the incident involve a colleague engaging in a racially insensitive discussion that I tried to disengage from. Despite my attempts to steer the conversation away and remove myself, the situation escalated with direct confrontation and accusations. This led to significant emotional distress for me. Later in the day, the same colleague misunderstood another conversation, making baseless accusations and publicly confronting me in a very aggressive way. I kept quiet throughout, just a bit of muttering. The emotional toll of these interactions has been immense. Now, my mind is stuck. I can't seem to stop dwelling on every word, every gesture, and every imagined alternative outcome. Hoping I'm not viewed as the "angry black woman" which is such an affair narrative why can't I state grievances of racism, without this narrative. * how do you manage the relentless replaying of stressful workplace interactions? What are your go-to coping mechanisms when your mind gets "stuck" on these loops? * Have you found any specific strategies helpful for navigating interpersonal conflicts at work when your OCD makes it difficult to process and move past them? * When you're feeling emotionally vulnerable due to work stress, what helps you prevent these situations from turning into prolonged rumination cycles? Any advice or shared experiences would be incredibly helpful. I'll be so grateful for any assistance. I just feel like I'm not good at life.
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