Managing OCD Habits: Tips for Reducing Stress

So, I’m not sure if this is the same, but I try and “trick” my obsessive thoughts with a different compulsive behavior that is more soothing or funny. For example, when I shut my hair straightener off in the morning I do a little hair straightener dance. And while that is a compulsive behavior, I no longer have the obsessive thought all day that I’ve left it on. I find the little dance silly, but I’d rather do a harmless silly thing than be near tears thinking about the hair straightener!

I've bee doing slow exposure therapy. Not my huge ones, but letting myself not wash my hands so much or like my therapist will make me keep my obsessive questions on paper to ask her or whatever doctor can answer it to stop my compulsive googling

i've been struggling with this. what i like to do is just keep telling myself "no, i don't have to do that (compulsion) and i'm not going to", then i distract myself with something that i enjoy until eventually the anxiety fizzles out. make sure to remind yourself that not completing the compulsion is doing a lot more good and helping you have more control over your ocd. ocd is going to try and trick you into thinking you're doing bad by not completing a compulsion but you're actually doing a lot of good progress for yourself.