Self-help for OCD:tip 1

Tell yourself,"That's just my stupid obsession.It has no meaning.That's just my brain.There's no need to pay attention to it."Remember,you can't make the thought disappear,but neither do you need to pay attention to it.You can learn to go on to the next behavior.

Refocus your attention:When you are experiencing OCD thoughts,try shifting your attention to something else.You can exercise,jog,listen to music,walk,read,browsing the web,play a video game,knit,make a phone call.The important thing is to do something you enjoy for at least 16 minutes,in order to delay your response to the obsessive thought.

Say to yourself,"I'm experiencing a symptom of OCD.I need to do another behavior." Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else,at least for a few minutes.Engage yourself to another work.

Tell yourself,"It's not me,it's my OCD,"to remind you that OCD thoughts and urges are not meaningful,but are false messages from the brain.You must realize that the intensity of the thought is caused by OCD.It is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain.

Lastly train yourself to say,"I don't think or feel that my hands are dirty.I'm having an obsession that my hands are dirty."Or "I don't feel that I have the need to wash my hands.I'm having a compulsive urge to perform the compulsion of washing my hands."Recognize that the instrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the result of OCD.

Self-help for OCD:tips 2

Write down your obsessive thoughts:Keep a pad and pencil,or type on a laptop,tablet or smartphone,when you begin to obsess,write down all your thoughts.Writing thoughts down is much harder work than simply thinking them,so your obsessive thoughts are likely to disappear sooner.

Anticipate OCD urges:If your compulsive behaviour provokes checking that doors are locked,windows closed,or appliances turned off,try to lock the door or turn off the appliances with extra attention the first time.Create a solid mental picture and then make a mental note.Tell yourself,"The window is now closed,"or "I can see that the stove is turned off."When the urge to check arises later,you will find it easier to consider it as "just an obsessive thought."

Self-help for OCD:tips 3

Record your OCD obsessions:Concentrate on one specific obsession and record it to a tape recorder,smart phone or laptop.Recount the obsessive sentence,story exactly as it comes into your mind.Play the record back to yourself,over and over for a 30 minute period each day,until listening to the obsession no longer causes you to feel highly anxious.By continuously confronting your obsession you will gradually become less anxious.You can then repeat the exercise for a different obsession.

Practice healthy eating habits: Eat plenty of carbohydrates such as whole grains,fruits and vegetables.Not only do they stabilize blood sugar but also boost serotonin,a neurotransmitter with calming effects.Going too long without eating leads to low blood sugar,which can make you feel more anxious.

Healthy eating diet.

Fresh vegetables.

Self-help for OCD:tips 4

Taking Exercise regularly:
Exercise is a natural anti anxiety treatment that helps to control OCD symptoms by refocusing your mind when obsessive thoughts and compulsions arise.Aerobic exercise relieves tension and stress,boosts physical and mental energy.

Practice relaxation techniques: 
Mindful meditation,deep breathing,yoga and other stress relief techniques may help reduce the symptoms of anxiety brought on by OCD.Try to practice a relaxation technique for at least 20 minutes a day.

Relaxation and meditation.

Avoid nicotine and alcohol:
Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety but it actually causes anxiety symptoms as it wears off.Aparently cigarettes are calming,nicotine is actually a powerful stimulant.Smoking leads to higher levels of anxiety and OCD symptoms.
                          

Avoid nicotine.

Self-help for OCD:tips 5

Get sufficient sleep and rest:

Anxiety and worry cause not only insomnia,but also exacerbate anxious thoughts and feelings.When you are well rested,it is much easier to keep your emotional balance,a key factor in coping with anxiety disorders such as OCD(obsessive compulsive disorder).

Connect with an OCD support group: You are not only who are the victim of OCD and participating in a support group can be an effective solution of that.OCD support groups enable you to both share your own experiences and learn from others who are facing the same problems.Share what you have learned with your support group and let them know that there is help available.Simply knowing that OCD is treatable can sometimes provide enough motivation for your friends to seek help.Through interaction with fellow OCD sufferers,group therapy provides support and encouragement and decreases feelings of isolation.

                   OCD support group