How I got past most of my intrusive thoughts!

I wanted to make this because I know how awful intrusive thoughts can feel. When you’re in the middle of an OCD spiral, it can genuinely feel like you HAVE to figure the thought out. You might start analyzing it, checking your feelings, asking yourself the same questions over and over, or trying to convince yourself that the thought doesn’t mean anything. I know how scary and exhausting that can be. I’m obviously not a professional, and everyone’s OCD is different, but these are some things that have genuinely helped me: 1. Stop trying to solve every thought. This one is probably the hardest. OCD wants an answer RIGHT NOW. It wants you to know exactly why you had the thought, what it means, whether you felt something when you had it, whether you’re a good person, etc. But you don't have to figure all of that out. Sometimes I remind myself, “I don't need to solve this right now.” Even if I still feel anxious afterward, I try to move on anyway. You’ve probably heard this tactic a million times, and you’re tired of it (I’m talking about myself if you couldn’t tell) but trust me, it really helps. Try your best! 2. Let the thought be there without giving it all of your attention. You don't have to force it away. You can notice it and then return to whatever you were doing. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you don't have to sit there and examine it. I was a huge slave to this for a while and it sucked, so please don’t go into the rabbit hole of coming up with new thoughts or obsessions. 3. MUSIC!!! Any fellow music lovers? Whether you like Taylor swift, Metallica, The Smiths, or whatever- music has genuinely been making my life better. When my thoughts are getting really annoying , I’ll put on a song and focus on it as much as I can. I’ll listen to the beat, the instruments, the different sounds, and whatever else I can pick out. Sometimes I’ll play a song I know really well because it’s easier to focus on. And if you can't get to music for whatever reason but you have a song stuck in your head, you can actually try to overpower it with your thoughts. My bad if this is a compulsion- but genuinely this helps me a bunch. 4. Get up and do something. Even if you don't feel like it. Take a shower, draw, clean something, play a game, watch a show, go outside, talk to somebody, do homework (or work, I see you employed pees)- literally anything that gets you back into your actual life. OCD can make you feel like you have to stop everything until you feel better, but you’re allowed to keep living while you're anxious. 5. Be careful with reassurance. I know how tempting it is to ask someone, “Does this mean I’m bad?” or “What if this thought means I secretly want it?” because you just want someone to make the fear go away. I understand that feeling SO much. But sometimes getting reassurance only makes OCD come back with another question five minutes later. Try reminding yourself that you don't need a perfect answer to every scary “what if.” 6. Don't judge yourself for having a bad day. Please, please remember this one. Having intrusive thoughts doesn't mean you're going backwards. Having a really bad OCD day doesn't erase the progress you've made. Sometimes your brain is just more annoying than usual, and that's okay. And if you're reading this while you're in the middle of a spiral, I really want you to know that you don't have to figure everything out tonight. You don't have to understand every thought. You don't have to make the anxiety disappear before you're allowed to do something you enjoy. Put on your favorite song if you can. Go do something small. Give your brain something else to focus on. Let the uncertainty sit there for a little while. I know it’s hard. I know some thoughts can feel absolutely terrifying, and I know how badly you just want your brain to give you a break. Please don't be mean to yourself for struggling with something you never asked for. You're still here. You're still trying. :3