Always Look for the Next Mountain
I had written previously in this blog post that OCD recovery is not a “state” - it is a mindset. There should never be a moment where you think: “I am complete. I no longer need to practice ERP/ACT/Mindfulness/Acceptance/etc…” Instead, you should always be hungry to improve and get stronger by implementing these practices in your life. I’ve said it many times before on this blog, but the skills you learn through ERP and ACT don’t just end once you recover from OCD - they are applicable to any challenging or difficult situation you may find yourself in. And much like how our physical fitness starts to degrade if we stop working out regularly, our mental fitness too can dull over time if we don’t routinely practice mindfulness and acceptance, or seek out opportunities to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations.
The 5-Step OCD Recovery Primer
I’ve been wanting to put something like this together for a long time - basically a “primer” on key topics that everyone should read and understand as they go through their OCD recovery journey. This is not meant to be an exhaustive and fully detailed recovery plan, but more of a rough outline covering the key topics and steps along the way. I’ve created the 5-Step Primer below, with links to other blog posts I’ve written on the various topics, which will help keep things organized and direct you to the most relevant topics. Use this as a resource to help structure your own personal recovery plan and/or to help supplement any formal therapy you are receiving from a licensed mental health professional. As a disclaimer, I am not a certified psychologist or psychiatrist, but I believe this 5-Step Primer will be helpful for anyone going through the OCD recovery journey.
Winter Storm Reflections
I live in a state that was severely impacted by the recent North American winter storm. During this storm, myself (along with millions of others) spent days without power, running water, heat, and internet, all while under below freezing temperatures. Even now as I am writing this blog post, thousands of people in my city are still without power, nearly six days after the storm first hit.
Making it through the worst of the storm was an interesting experience. For my state in particular, we had very little infrastructure or preparedness to weather the intensity and severity of the storm (some people are describing it as the worst winter storm in decades). As a result, many people were caught off-guard and had to scramble to survive for days without adequate power, water, or food. It’s truly a heartbreaking experience to see so many stories of people struggling for basic amenities that we would normally take for granted.
Practice Daily Gratitude
The topic for today’s blog comes from some self-reflection I was doing last Sunday as I was winding down for the evening and preparing for the work week to start again on Monday. Generally, I think it’s safe to say many of us do not like Mondays - they mark the beginning of a long, sometimes stressful, work week, where it feels like you’re climbing the hill all over again and trying to make it back to the weekend. It’s pretty routine for me to spend the last few hours of my Sunday thinking about all the emails that have piled up in my work inbox, all the tasks and deadlines I have to accomplish in the coming week, and just generally dreading returning to the office.
Good Habits for Mental Health
When it comes to OCD recovery, practicing the skills and techniques you learn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy frameworks like Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) are the fundamental building blocks that allow you to improve your mental health and fitness. ERP and ACT should be your core foundation and the first things you seek to learn about, practice, and master when going through your OCD recovery journey. However, there are also a number of other habits and routines that can greatly help you in improving and maintaining your mental health and fitness. In today’s blog, I wanted to touch on some important habits and practices that, when combined with ERP and ACT, can significantly help strengthen your mental health.
Mindfulness
If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog, you’ve probably noticed that along with things like Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), I like to also promote Mindfulness as a good way to help facilitate OCD recovery. But what exactly is mindfulness?
According to Wikipedia:
Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment, a skill one develops through meditation or other training.
I think this is a great high level summary of what mindfulness is. It’s a practice, a habit, a skill, and a mindset all wrapped up in one. If ERP and ACT are cognitive behavioral therapy frameworks, then I would say that mindfulness is a skill that can be applied to either or both approaches, because fundamentally the act of mindfulness strongly correlates to key principles in both ERP and ACT.