Last Updated on December 16, 2021 by
The obsessive thoughts are those recurring thoughts generally related concerns, fears or violent situations that do not allow you to focus your attention on other things.
Anxiety is the main cause of this type of thinking. If you want to know how to eliminate obsessive thoughts, in this article you will find good advice.
How to Remove Obsessive Thoughts
Is it normal to have obsessive thoughts?
These kinds of thoughts are characteristic in people who have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or who have severe anxiety problems.
However, many people who do not have OCD also have these thoughts caused by anxiety, which cause them a lot of stress and do not allow them to function normally in their lives.
Negative thoughts, related to your fears, emotions or violent situations, are normal in all people. The difference is how we react to these thoughts.
If you do not give them importance, then they do not become an obsession.
On the contrary, if these thoughts cause you much anxiety and stress, then they are likely to become obsessive thoughts that prevent you from concentrating on other things and therefore, they can hamper your daily life and make you feel very bad.
Some examples of obsessive thoughts may be:
- Fear of getting sick.
- Need for strict organization or symmetry.
- Fears about simple things, such as leaving the door open or the oven on.
- Thoughts related to sexual assault, falling from a balcony or ideas related to death.
As you can see, some of these thoughts are much more negative than others, but they all have something in common: they are caused by anxiety; they can cause you a lot of stress and prevent you from concentrating on your daily activities.
9 Tips to Eliminate Obsessive Thoughts
You have to take some steps to get these thoughts away from your mind.
Here are 10 good tips you can follow to eliminate them.
1-Do not tries to stop them
Numerous scientific studies show that when you try not to think about something specific, you think more about it.
That’s because the brain strives to remember what you should not think about and as a result, you think about it even more.
You must understand this to begin to eliminate the obsessive thoughts of your mind.
2-Do not be ashamed
Accept your thoughts for what they are, a product of your anxiety. Stop blaming yourself or feeling ashamed for them, they are just a symptom of the anxiety you have.
Acceptance is crucial; It is not possible to control these thoughts, so do not expect to be able to do so.
You must accept them as a natural symptom caused by anxiety. When it decreases, the obsessive thoughts will also.
Maybe you think you’re crazy or you’re weird, but you’re not. It does not matter if these thoughts provoke strange behavior in you.
Who cares if you verify three times that you have closed the door correctly? What does it matter if you sometimes have inappropriate sexual thoughts? They are just thoughts.
It is a disorder that must be cured, it is true, but as long as you find the solution, it is as if you were cold or flu. You have symptoms of an alteration, but they will disappear as soon as you are cured.
As you said at the beginning, you should not try to fight these thoughts or believe that they are part of a personality disordered.
3-Write persistent thoughts
Some thoughts, rather than obsessions, are persistent, and when you have them, you fear that they will become obsessive thoughts.
A good idea to eliminate them may be to write these thoughts into a kind of personal diary.
The mind tends to put aside persistent thoughts when they are shaped in a permanent place.
4-Accept the thoughts and let them go
One of the main problems of people with obsessive thoughts is the idea of having to live always with anxiety and not being able to get rid of the thoughts.
When a negative thought appears, watch it and let it go, without trying to eliminate it.
On the other hand, compulsive behaviors (check several times if the door was closed properly, for example) provide a quick fix to obsessive thinking.
But if you leave these behaviors aside, then you allow yourself to experience anxiety and after a while, the obsessive thoughts will cause you less fear and will present less frequently.
It is possible that to achieve this goal you need the support of a psychological therapy.
5-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works on the fears, anxiety, and mistaken beliefs that are triggered by obsessive thoughts.
It is proven that this type of therapy is usually very effective in cases of OCD and other anxiety disorders.
6-Diet can help
According to Dr. Ray Sahelian, a nutrition expert, a diet rich in folic acid and vitamin B12 can positively influence patients with obsessive thoughts.
Some examples of foods rich in these vitamins are meats, dairy products, broccoli, bananas, potatoes and soy products.
7-Stay active
Exercise has a great antidepressant power; helps fight anxiety and can also help eliminate obsessive thoughts.
When you do exercises such as a long walk, an aerobic session or a bike ride through the park, the brain generates certain substances called endorphin’s, which reduce stress, anxiety and provoke a pleasant feeling of well-being.
8-Learn relaxation techniques
Any activity related to relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation or tai chi can help decrease anxiety and with it will also obsessive thoughts.
9-Apply this small exercise
Here is a simple exercise that can help you keep an obsessive thought away. To do this, you must be very attentive. When an obsessive thought appears, pay attention to identify it clearly.
Think your mind is like a train with many wagons, where each wagon is a thought.
When you have identified obsessive thinking, for example “obsession to go over work hundreds of times,” then imagine the wagon of that thought and visualize the train as if you saw it from afar: you watch the train pull away and take the car of your obsessive thinking.
Obsessive thoughts can interfere in your life and make you feel bad. Apply these tips so that they do not torment you, and if you cannot do it alone, then do not hesitate to seek professional help.
