Mindfulness and OCD Recovery
- Catherine Benfield
- Jun 25
- 6 min read
Before I start this blog, it's important to mention that mindfulness can adversely affect some people. If you have any questions or concerns about using mindfulness, please don't hesitate to contact your medical professional first. And remember, you can step away from this blog or the activities listed any time you want. There is absolutely no pressure to complete them. Showing yourself compassion is one of the main goals of mindfulness, and sometimes, that means stepping away from things that don't help. ❤️
Right! Let's get going...
My Experiences with Mindfulness
I first heard about Mindfulness years ago, and to be honest, I was a bit cynical. I couldn't work out how I was supposed to accept my thoughts or sit quietly with my thoughts. It seemed impossible, and I was frustrated with how many people were suggesting it as a way of helping with OCD. I tried it briefly and gave up quickly. Many years later, I tried it again, and this time, something stuck. To this day, I do not have a regular mindfulness practice, although it is very much a strategy in my toolbox for when I feel the beginnings of OCD creeping up on me. I also use it to help me when I am overwhelmed with intrusive thoughts or when I feel tightness in my body.
If you’re on the journey of OCD recovery, you’ve probably heard about mindfulness too. Maybe, like me at first, you think it sounds a bit unhelpful - like something that involves sitting cross-legged, trying to empty your mind while soothing music plays. But I learned that mindfulness isn’t about stopping thoughts; it’s about changing how you relate to them. And when it comes to OCD, that can be a real game-changer!
Just What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment, of being fully aware of your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment. It’s not about forcing yourself to be calm or having a perfectly still mind (spoiler: that’s impossible). Instead, it’s about noticing what’s happening in your mind without getting caught up in it.
For those of us with OCD, intrusive thoughts can feel like there is no end in sight. They can be totally consuming. Our natural instinct is to fight them, analyse them, or try to push them away - but that often makes them stronger and reinforces the OCD Loop. Mindfulness offers a different approach. It encourages us to acknowledge the thoughts, allows them to be there, and chooses not to engage with them. I find it helpful to imagine letting intrusive thoughts pass by like clouds in the sky. I know other people imagine their intrusive thoughts like watching cars drive past or trains travel through the station they are standing at.
How Does Mindfulness Help with OCD?
Mindfulness helps create space between you and your thoughts.
OCD tries to convince us that our thoughts have meaning, that they are urgent and important. Mindfulness teaches us to observe our thoughts without reacting. Instead of thinking, This thought must mean something! I must be a terrible person for thinking this thought! we can practice saying, Oh, there’s that thought again! This creates distance and reduces the power of the obsession.
It reduces the urge to ‘solve’ thoughts.
OCD often tricks us into believing that if we analyse a thought enough, we’ll find certainty. But certainty never comes, and the more we engage, the stronger OCD gets (see The OCD Loop). Mindfulness helps us recognise the urge to engage in compulsions without acting on it. The thought might still be there, but we can practise leaving it alone instead of feeding it. Again, I find the cloud activity really helpful here.
It helps to lower anxiety over time.
Mindfulness won’t erase anxiety overnight, but with consistent practise, it can help us build a new response to discomfort. Instead of scrambling to ‘fix’ an intrusive thought, we can learn to sit with the discomfort and trust that it will pass on its own, because eventually it always does.
It helps us stay in the present.
OCD pulls you into the past ("Did I do something wrong at the meeting yesterday?") or the future ("What if this means something terrible will happen to my loved one tomorrow?"). Mindfulness helps bring us back to right now, which is the only moment we actually have control over.
Mindfulness Practices for OCD Recovery
I know I've said this loads of times before, but I'm not a mental health therapist and I haven't got any formal training in mindfulness, so please keep that in mind. But I have done a lot of therapy, and learned a lot about mindfulness, so for the sake of this post, here are some descriptions of the exercises I have found most helpful in the past.
The ‘Noting’ Technique
When an intrusive thought pops up, try labelling it instead of engaging with it. We can say something like:
“Ah, that’s an intrusive thought.”
“There’s anxiety showing up!”
“Oh, my brain is doing that OCD thing again!”
This tiny shift helps remind us that we are not our thoughts - they’re just passing mental events.
Mindful Breathing
We don’t have to meditate for hours to benefit from mindful breathing. Try this:
Inhale deeply through your nose for four seconds.
Hold for four seconds.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for four seconds.
Repeat a few times, focusing on the feeling of your breath moving in and out.
When intrusive thoughts show up, gently bring your focus back to your breath. This helps ground you in the present moment.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
I found this particularly helpful when OCD was pulling me into my head. Take a moment to notice:
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
This helps to anchor us in the present moment and helps shift our focus away from our obsessive thoughts.
Surf the Urge
Instead of immediately doing a compulsion, try to pause and observe the feeling. Imagine the urge as a wave - intense at first but fading with time. The trick it to try to see if we can ride it out without acting on it. Even waiting just a few extra minutes before engaging in a compulsion can weaken OCD’s grip over time.
Self-Compassion Break
OCD can be incredibly frustrating, and it’s really easy for us to be hard on ourselves. When I'm struggling, I try to do this:
Acknowledge the difficulty: “This is really hard right now.”
Remind myself that I'm not alone: “Many people experience this, too.”
Show myself kindness: “I’m doing my best, and that’s enough.”
Speaking to ourselves with kindness (in the way we would comfort a friend) can make a huge difference in how we experience OCD.
Final Thoughts
Like most things in recovery, mindfulness isn’t a quick fix, and it won’t immediately erase OCD, but it can be an incredibly powerful tool in our recovery. It can help us step back from intrusive thoughts, resist compulsions, and build a healthier relationship with our minds. And the best part? If we'd like to, we can start practising right now. There is no special equipment required.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post - I really hope it has helped!
I added some helpful links just below for you to check out.
Sending loads of love,
Catherine xx
Taming Olivia Store
If you would like to learn more about how to develop the skills mentioned in the post, please check out our bright and compassionate resources. You can practise the skills of mindfulness in our 'Introduction to Mindfulness' pack or extend that to also include developing self-compassion in our How to Show Self-Compassion Pack.
Further Reading:
Everyday Mindfulness for OCD by Jon Hershfield
Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy by Jon Hershfield
Taming Olivia Newsletter
We send out a fun community newsletter each month which includes:
Loads of information about upcoming, OCD community events
A free, fun and accessible well-being pack includes ways to practice self-care and recovery skills.
Taming Olivia updates
Come and join us in the wonderful world of Taming Olivia by signing up here.
