Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsExperiencing OCDTechniquesResourcesFAQs
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Experiencing OCD
Techniques
Resources
FAQs
Standard therapy for OCD includescognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) with exposure and response prevention (ERP). Medications such asselective serotonin reuptake inhibitors(SSRIs) may also be prescribed. However, there is growing interest in the use of mindfulness as a complementarytreatment for OCD. Research is still emerging, but studies show promise.
Read on to learn how mindfulness can be helpful for OCD and some techniques to try.
Justin Paget / Getty Images
What Is Mindfulness?Mindfulness involves being in the present and focusing on your immediate surroundings and sensations. Mindfulness exercises often use sensory experiences, visualizations, and breathing techniques to center focus. During these exercises, thoughts of any kinds—positive or negative—are acknowledged and passed without judgment. While this can be difficult for people with OCD, it can help take the power out of the intrusive thoughts, and reduce them over time.
What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness involves being in the present and focusing on your immediate surroundings and sensations. Mindfulness exercises often use sensory experiences, visualizations, and breathing techniques to center focus. During these exercises, thoughts of any kinds—positive or negative—are acknowledged and passed without judgment. While this can be difficult for people with OCD, it can help take the power out of the intrusive thoughts, and reduce them over time.
Complementary Benefits of Meditation for OCD
Mindfulnessandmeditationcan be used alongside typical OCD treatments to complement the goals of the first-line treatments for OCD (CBT with ERP) and/or medication.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy that helps people recognize and change problematic thought patterns and behavior. One form of CBT is called exposure and response prevention (ERP).
ERP is performed under the guidance of a mental health professional. It involves intentionally exposing the person to their objects of fear.
For people with OCD, this involves triggering their obsessive thoughts and resisting performing the compulsive behavior in response. This causes great anxiety at first, but over repeated sessions, the person learns to see that no actual harm comes from these thoughts, which reduces symptoms.Mindfulness exercises like meditation can be used to facilitate this process.
The International OCD Foundation recognizes three main ways mindfulness can be beneficial in boosting the effectiveness of traditional CBT: acceptance, assessment, and action.
Remember that using mindfulness is recommended as a complement to CBT, not a replacement for it.
Acceptance
Acceptance is the first step of treatment. It involves learning how the brain interacts with the mind, what CBT entails, what mindfulness means, and other concepts that help OCD and its treatment make sense.
Mindfulness means observing and accepting undesired thoughts, feelings, and sensations without assigning them meaning or judgment or trying to get them to stop.
While mindfulness can be practiced using formal meditation, it can also be performed as you go about your regular activities. It’s all about observing what you are experiencing in your body, mind, and environment. For example, pay attention to sensations, such as the feel of the water on your skin during a shower or the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
Assessment
With traditional cognitive therapy, the person is encouraged to identify distorted thinking and intrusive thoughts involved with OCD.
For example, an intrusive thought might be, “My hands are not completely clean, so I am going to get a serious disease.” With cognitive therapy, that thought can be reframed as, “I don’t know how clean my hands are right now, and I am not able to predict what will happen in the future.”
The focus is on assessing how the person thinks, not on the validity of their thoughts. They can asssess the frequency, nature, and impact of their symptoms.
Action
With ERP, people with OCD are intentionally exposed to their feared thoughts and feelings, which causes discomfort that, ideally, decreases with repeated exposures.
Incorporating mindfulness into this treatment helps the person with OCD be more open to and accepting of experiencing this discomfort. Learning to lean into the experience instead of pulling away reduces the urge to relieve theanxietywith compulsions.
What’s the Difference Between an Obsession and a Compulsion?
Obsessions and compulsions are defined as:
How OCD Affects Mental Health
People with OCD experience chronic, recurring intrusive and distressing thoughts. While everyone experiences thoughts like these from time to time, people with OCD experience them at a level that impacts their level of functioning.
People with OCD typically recognize that these thoughts are irrational, but the thoughts can’t be reasoned away.
Mindfulness Techniques for All Levels
Somemindfulness techniquesrequire dedicated space and time commitment, but others can be practiced anywhere, even at work.
At Home
Body Scan
Yoga
There are many types of yoga to choose from. A 2019 trial found that Kundalini yoga meditation showed promise as an option for people with OCD who have not responded to first-line treatments.
Look for classes in your area, or check out the many online options, including free instructional videos on YouTube.
Make sure to check with your healthcare provider before starting yoga or any exercise program.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
How to Do Muscle Relaxation Exercises
Guided Imagery
Guided imagery helps you use your mind to create a sensory experience.
For example, instead of just thinking of an orange, you would imagine it in great detail, incorporating all of your senses. You would imagine its smell, how the peel feels on your fingers, its weight in your hand, the juices squirting when you take a bite, and tasting its tart and sweet flavor.
Settings for guided imagery can be any relaxing place, such as a beach, garden, or anywhere that makes you feel safe and comfortable.
Guided imagery can be done with an instructor, audio files, or a script that you follow.
Audio Mindfulness GuidesCheck online for audio guides to help you through mindfulness exercises. For example,McMaster Universityhas audio files for:Diaphragmatic breathingProgressive muscle relaxationGuided imageryAutogenic training
Audio Mindfulness Guides
Check online for audio guides to help you through mindfulness exercises. For example,McMaster Universityhas audio files for:Diaphragmatic breathingProgressive muscle relaxationGuided imageryAutogenic training
Check online for audio guides to help you through mindfulness exercises. For example,McMaster Universityhas audio files for:
At Work
Mindful Meditation
Mindful meditation can be done in as little as five minutes per session.
Belly Breathing
You can perform bellybreathingwhenever and wherever you need it.
4-7-8 Breathing
Start in the same position as belly breathing, one hand on your belly, one on your chest.
Resources to Help You Get Started
The International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) offers acollection of OCD resources. To look for a mental health professional in your area, you can use IOCDF’ssearch tool.
You can also check IOCDF’sdirectory of support groupsand get some advice on starting your own if there isn’t one in your area.
Summary
OCD involves recurrent, intrusive thoughts and repeated or ritualized behaviors. First-line therapy treatments for OCD are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP). However, emerging research suggests that mindfulness techniques can complement these therapies.
Mindfulness techniques include exercises such as mindful meditation, guided imagery, belly breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and yoga.
Frequently Asked QuestionsThere’s no one technique that has been conclusively shown to be the best. A 2012 study found that participants reported a three-minute breathing exercise as being particularly helpful to them, but it ultimately comes down to what works best for you.Learn MoreCan Too Much Mindfulness Worsen Your Mental Health?Different mindfulness exercises require varying time commitments, and personal preference plays a part too. Breathing exercises and mindful meditation can be completed in as little as a few minutes, while techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and yoga take longer.If you find mindfulness exercises are making you feel worse, talk to your healthcare provider or mental health professional about adjustments to your treatment plan. Mindfulness can be helpful, but it’s not for everyone.Learn MoreMindfulness May Not Work for Everyone
Frequently Asked Questions
There’s no one technique that has been conclusively shown to be the best. A 2012 study found that participants reported a three-minute breathing exercise as being particularly helpful to them, but it ultimately comes down to what works best for you.Learn MoreCan Too Much Mindfulness Worsen Your Mental Health?
There’s no one technique that has been conclusively shown to be the best. A 2012 study found that participants reported a three-minute breathing exercise as being particularly helpful to them, but it ultimately comes down to what works best for you.
Learn MoreCan Too Much Mindfulness Worsen Your Mental Health?
Different mindfulness exercises require varying time commitments, and personal preference plays a part too. Breathing exercises and mindful meditation can be completed in as little as a few minutes, while techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation and yoga take longer.
If you find mindfulness exercises are making you feel worse, talk to your healthcare provider or mental health professional about adjustments to your treatment plan. Mindfulness can be helpful, but it’s not for everyone.Learn MoreMindfulness May Not Work for Everyone
If you find mindfulness exercises are making you feel worse, talk to your healthcare provider or mental health professional about adjustments to your treatment plan. Mindfulness can be helpful, but it’s not for everyone.
Learn MoreMindfulness May Not Work for Everyone
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shannahoff-Khalsa D, Fernandes RY, Pereira CA de B, et al.Kundalini yoga meditation versus the relaxation response meditation for treating adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized clinical trial.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:793. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00793Hertenstein E, Rose N, Voderholzer U, et al.Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder – a qualitative study on patients’ experiences.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):185. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-185International OCD Foundation.Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD.American Psychiatric Association.What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?International OCD Foundation.Exposure and response prevention (ERP).Adams TG, Kelmendi B, Brake CA, Gruner P, Badour CL, Pittenger C.The role of stress in the pathogenesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Chronic Stress. 2018;2:247054701875804. doi:10.1177/2470547018758043Harvard Health.Mindfulness meditation to control pain.Kaiser Permanente.Progressive muscle relaxation.University of Michigan Health.Guided imagery.American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.University of Michigan Health.Stress management: breathing exercises for relaxation.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shannahoff-Khalsa D, Fernandes RY, Pereira CA de B, et al.Kundalini yoga meditation versus the relaxation response meditation for treating adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized clinical trial.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:793. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00793Hertenstein E, Rose N, Voderholzer U, et al.Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder – a qualitative study on patients’ experiences.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):185. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-185International OCD Foundation.Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD.American Psychiatric Association.What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?International OCD Foundation.Exposure and response prevention (ERP).Adams TG, Kelmendi B, Brake CA, Gruner P, Badour CL, Pittenger C.The role of stress in the pathogenesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Chronic Stress. 2018;2:247054701875804. doi:10.1177/2470547018758043Harvard Health.Mindfulness meditation to control pain.Kaiser Permanente.Progressive muscle relaxation.University of Michigan Health.Guided imagery.American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.University of Michigan Health.Stress management: breathing exercises for relaxation.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Shannahoff-Khalsa D, Fernandes RY, Pereira CA de B, et al.Kundalini yoga meditation versus the relaxation response meditation for treating adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized clinical trial.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:793. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00793Hertenstein E, Rose N, Voderholzer U, et al.Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder – a qualitative study on patients’ experiences.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):185. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-185International OCD Foundation.Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD.American Psychiatric Association.What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?International OCD Foundation.Exposure and response prevention (ERP).Adams TG, Kelmendi B, Brake CA, Gruner P, Badour CL, Pittenger C.The role of stress in the pathogenesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Chronic Stress. 2018;2:247054701875804. doi:10.1177/2470547018758043Harvard Health.Mindfulness meditation to control pain.Kaiser Permanente.Progressive muscle relaxation.University of Michigan Health.Guided imagery.American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.University of Michigan Health.Stress management: breathing exercises for relaxation.
Shannahoff-Khalsa D, Fernandes RY, Pereira CA de B, et al.Kundalini yoga meditation versus the relaxation response meditation for treating adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a randomized clinical trial.Front Psychiatry. 2019;10:793. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00793
Hertenstein E, Rose N, Voderholzer U, et al.Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in obsessive-compulsive disorder – a qualitative study on patients’ experiences.BMC Psychiatry. 2012;12(1):185. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-185
International OCD Foundation.Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for OCD.
American Psychiatric Association.What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
International OCD Foundation.Exposure and response prevention (ERP).
Adams TG, Kelmendi B, Brake CA, Gruner P, Badour CL, Pittenger C.The role of stress in the pathogenesis and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder.Chronic Stress. 2018;2:247054701875804. doi:10.1177/2470547018758043
Harvard Health.Mindfulness meditation to control pain.
Kaiser Permanente.Progressive muscle relaxation.
University of Michigan Health.Guided imagery.
American Psychological Association.Healthy ways to handle life’s stressors.
University of Michigan Health.Stress management: breathing exercises for relaxation.
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