How to Stop OCD Cleaning: A Guide for Reclaiming Control
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a mental health condition that is characterized by its intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors. If you experience symptoms of OCD, you may feel that these obsessions and compulsions take control over you and your life. You may even feel obligated to perform them.
One of the common forms of OCD revolves around cleaning. This form of OCD is when a person experiences an overwhelming desire to clean as a way to reduce any feelings of anxiety or prevent anything harmful from happening.
Even though cleanliness can be a healthy habit, OCD cleaning can become a cycle that consumes your time, energy, and overall emotional well-being. Consider this to be your guide for reclaiming control and stopping OCD cleaning once and for all.
Understanding OCD Cleaning
Before we can work to stop OCD cleaning, it’s important to take the time to better understand its root causes. Despite its name and actions, OCD cleaning isn’t about cleanliness at all. OCD cleaning is about relieving the anxiety that you experience from your intrusive and unwelcome thoughts.
Cleaning is a way for you to feel temporary relief from your fear of contamination, disorder, or illness. The temporary relief can be short-lived and the compulsions will end up returning stronger, which can trap you in what feels like a never-ending cycle, until now that is. Here are some ways for you to stop OCD cleaning.
How to Stop OCD Cleaning
Recognize Your Triggers
Becoming aware of your triggers is one of the first steps you can take towards overcoming OCD cleaning. By being more aware of your thoughts, situations, or environments that trigger your compulsions, you can then work to develop better coping mechanisms and strategies moving forward. Start keeping track of different scenarios that trigger your OCD compulsions in a journal. This can be a great way for you to organize your thoughts and help you bring more attention and awareness to your OCD.
Practice Mindfulness
When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to experience OCD symptoms. Implementing mindfulness into your daily routine can help ground yourself in the present moment and reduce feelings of anxiety. Try activities like deep breathing, body scans, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation.
Celebrate Your Wins
A win is a win, no matter how small. Remember that healing and recovering from OCD is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to celebrate all of your successes, even if they feel small. Those small wins will add up to big results. Plus, being proud of yourself every step of the way on your journey can help you reach your destination a lot sooner.
Set SMART Goals
Setting goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely, or SMART, can be a great way for you to set and enforce boundaries with yourself. Try establishing clear and realistic goals and expectations for yourself when it comes to cleaning. Try to determine what is a necessary form of hygiene and cleaning versus what is actually excessive.
You can then work to reduce your need to clean and set a schedule for cleaning certain rooms instead. For example, instead of cleaning your bathroom daily, you can work towards cleaning it every 3 days, then once a week. Having a schedule in place can help you resist those impulsive urges to clean.
Seek Professional Support
OCD can be a common but serious mental health condition. Compulsions may make you feel like you have everything under control, but these can actually lead to worsened fears and obsessions.
Working with a therapist who is licensed and experienced with OCD can help you implement a strategies that work for you long term. Reach out today to learn more about getting started with therapy for OCD. With the right help and support, reducing the grip that OCD has on your life is possible.