OCD Meditation Talk Down or Sleep Soundly

My name is Danielle and I am an anxiety and OCD recovery coach. I have personally recovered from many, many years of anxiety and ocd, and I've been helping others do the same for quite some time. Today I want to do a meditation with you that is going to help you turn off the rumination and get a peaceful night's sleep. So let's get started.

I want you to start by getting really comfortable.

And taking three very deep breaths.

When we're anxious, it can be difficult to slow down the feelings that we have in our body and the thoughts that are going on in our heads.

We can't always just stop this when we're in a cycle of rumination.

But I want you to just continue to focus and do the best that you can.

Starting with some deep breathing, we're going to tell our body that it's time to relax.

The thoughts may still be there, and that's okay.

I want you to continue to focus on my voice.

And not engage with the thoughts that are in your head or the feelings that are in your body.

This can be really difficult when we're struggling with anxiety and OCD because we've gotten in a habit of feeling like we need to pay attention to these thoughts and that the feelings that follow the thoughts means something.

I can promise you that just because you have a thought or a feeling doesn't mean that you have to give it attention.

Our brain thinks that by ruminating.

Analyzing.

Scanning for threat, or trying to figure something out.

That it's going to come to a conclusion that's going to lead to safety.

But as you may already know.

This can turn into a cycle of rumination.

More intrusive thoughts, more anxiety.

More doubt, and more questions.

The answers aren't in the rumination.

And trying to figure things out.

What we really need to do in these moments.

Is learn to accept.

That certainty.

Perfection.

And things looking a certain way.

Do not exist.

These are impossible feats that we will fight over and over again.

But they do not exist.

Even when we think we've found an answer or something that provides us certainty or reassurance in the moment, the burn brain will doubt five minutes or five hours later.

The amygdala, the fear center of your brain, is really hyperactive right now.

It's scanning for danger, it's finding it in any place that it can.

And it's trying to protect you.

But the most important thing that you need to know is that you do not need protection from this part of your brain.

You can trust yourself.

To make the right Decisions.

To take necessary risks.

To grow and learn in your life.

And even if we make a mistake somewhere along the line.

We learn lessons.

And we continue to move forward.

And most of the time, risk is necessary for growth.

You don't need certainty.

What you do need to do is let go of the need for certainty and start to lean into and accept uncertainty.

The more I've been able to do this, the more I've practiced it.

The happier and freer I am.

If you're getting caught up in intrusive thoughts.

Start to train yourself not to engage.

No matter how much the brain wants to focus on these thoughts, no matter how loud they are.

You are stronger.

You can choose not to engage.

Even if your brain is responding right now and telling you that you're not strong, that you can't do it.

These are just another example of negative thoughts that you do not have to believe or engage in.

If a thought is not serving you, let it go.

You don't have to be perfect at this.

Nobody's perfect.

At stopping negative thoughts and not engaging at all. But we can learn to get better and better and better.

All you have to do right now is do the best you can and continue to bring your attention back to my voice.

Our feelings come from our thoughts, and when our thoughts are negative, it creates negative feelings.

But again, you can choose not to engage with these negative thoughts.

We don't want to push them away.

We want to let them come.

We want to let them be there.

But we don't want to give them attention.

Thank it for being there.

And then refocus on something that's going to make you feel good.

Something that's productive.

One of my favorite tools when I was waking up with anxiety or focusing on negative feelings or feeling unproductive, was to ask myself, who do I want to be today?

This gave me an automatic vision and direction for my day.

I wanted to be productive.

I wanted to be a good partner.

I wanted to look good and feel good about myself.

And I wanted to get better at not giving intrusive thoughts my attention.

Starting my day with this vision and action plan helped propel me to take the actions I needed to take to have a good day.

I wasn't always perfect at it, but it helped propel me in that right direction.

Still got caught up with negative thoughts from time to time, but I refocused on who I want to be.

Every day, I focus on being more of who I want to be.

No matter what's happened in your past.

No matter how difficult the struggle has been.

You have a hundred percent control over who you want to be.

Recovering from OCD takes time.

It takes patience.

And for many, it takes support from a qualified specialist who could help educate you and give you the tools to get there.

But no matter what.

As long as you keep taking steps forward.

Working on your exposure and response prevention tools.

You will continue to get better and better and better.

With consistency.

And with effort.

These tools work every single time when done properly.

Ups and downs as part of the process.

Because this is how the brain learns.

We have to fall down and get back up to be able to see what we did wrong so we can keep from making that same mistake again.

The really cool thing about this is when you fall down and get up and get back on that horse.

You can be proud of yourself for getting through that difficult moment.

Most of us with OCD highly struggle with discomfort.

This could be emotional discomfort.

This could be physical discomfort.

It could be mental discomfort.

And the only way to recovery is through.

We have to start facing these discomforts.

Working through them.

To build the confidence to know that we can do it.

And I promise you, each and every one of you can do it.

I want you to take a couple of deep breaths.

Let go of any thoughts.

Whether they're intrusive thoughts.

Thoughts about your day.

Your thoughts about what you need to do tomorrow.

For right now, we're going to completely let go of these thoughts.

Your only job right now.

Is to let go.

As many times as it takes.

Just like learning a new sport.

Or a new skill.

This takes practice.

The more consistently you listen to this meditation and my other OCD meditations.

You will experience results.

We are retraining the brain.

To know that we don't need to attach to all of our thoughts.

Positive ones, negative ones, scary ones.

They're all normal.

We do not have to give them any meaning.

And you are getting better and better and better at this.

I want you to imagine your thoughts.

Are like leaves floating down a river.

Slowly floating and passing by.

We don't have to judge the thought.

We don't have to analyze it.

We don't even care if it's good or bad.

We're letting it come.

And we're letting it go.

If you're experiencing emotion during this meditation.

That'S okay.

The recovery process can be emotional and it has its ups and downs for everybody.

This emotion is coming from thoughts.

Usually negative thoughts.

And I want you to practice not attaching to that thought or even the emotion that wants to come with it.

The emotion comes from the attaching to the thoughts and thinking that it has to mean something.

It doesn't have to mean anything.

We all have to accept a certain amount of risk in life.

We're all exposed to germs every single day, constantly.

We all get into relationships and accept the risk that maybe it will work out and maybe it won't.

We all get strange, weird, negative thoughts.

That we just choose to let go of and not give any attention to.

We all have doubts about the decisions that we make, but we choose to make a decision and move forward anyway.

We all get angry. We all lie.

We all hide certain parts of ourselves.

We are all imperfect.

But without risk.

Our lives get very, very small.

And many times with great risk comes great re.

You can handle anything that comes up for you in life.

You're going to experience many, many wonderful things in life.

You're going to work a lot. You're going to shower and brush your teeth and do all of the things that we all don't really want to do, but we do it anyway.

And you're going to go through some difficult things in your life as well.

But these difficulties when we get on the other side are what makes us stronger.

And we can't avoid this part of life. It's part of being a human being.

But no matter what, you can handle it. You can ask for help when you need it.

But avoiding and running away from discomfort only reinforces that fear.

And it makes you feel weaker and weaker.

And when you learn to face these difficulties, when you learn to accept uncertainty and move forward, when you learn to put yourself in uncomfortable situations enough to build comfort.

You develop so much confidence.

I want you to continue letting those thoughts come and go.

Not attaching to them.

Not analyzing them.

Not even pushing them away.

You're just gonna observe, observe them coming and going.

Continuing to focus on my voice.

And focus on the music.

And practicing letting go.

Sa.

If you have uncomfortable feelings in your body.

I want you to just observe without judgment.

Noticing what it is.

And not attaching any thought to it whatsoever.

You can bring your attention to the breath.

Again, letting go of any judgment.

Any thoughts.

Or any feelings.

You don't have to be present perfect at this.

All you have to do is continue to bring your attention.

Back to the breath.

Back to observing that feeling in your body.

Letting the thoughts come or go without attaching.

Sam.

Sa.

Usually negative thoughts.

And I want you to practice not attaching to that thought or even the emotion that wants to come with it.

The emotion comes from the attaching to the thoughts. Sa.

And thinking that it has to mean something.

It doesn't have to mean anything.

We all have to accept a certain amount of risk in life.

We're all exposed to germs every single day, constantly.

We all get into relationships and accept the risk that maybe it will work out and maybe it won't.

We all get strange, weird, negative thoughts.

That we just choose to let go of.

And not give any attention to.

We all have doubts about the decisions that we make, but we choose to make a decision and move forward anyway.

We all get angry.

We all lie.

We all hide certain parts of ourselves.

We are all imperfect.

But without risk.

Sa.

Our lives get very, very small.

And many times with great risk comes great re.

You can handle anything that comes up for you in life.

You're going to experience many, many wonderful things in life.

You're going to work.

Sam.

A lot.

You're going to shower and brush your teeth and do all of the things we all don't really want to do, but we do it anyway.

And you're going to go through some difficult things in your life as well.

But these difficulties when we get on the other side are what.

Sa.

Can't avoid. This part of life. It's part of being a human being.

But no matter what, you can handle it. You can ask for help when you need it.

But avoiding and running away from discomfort only reinforces that fear.

And it makes you feel weaker and weaker.

And when you learn to face these difficulties, when you learn to accept uncertainty and move forward.

Forward. When you learn to put yourself in uncomfortable situations.

Enough to build comfort.

You develop so much confidence.

Sa.

I want you to continue letting those thoughts come and go.

Not attaching to them.

Not analyzing them.

Not.

Even putting, pushing them away.

You're just gonna.

Observe them coming and going.

Continuing to focus on my voice.

And focus.

It's on the music.

And practicing letting go.

It.

If you have uncomfortable feelings in your body.

I want you to just observe without judgment.

Noticing what it is.

And not attaching any thought to it whatsoever.

Sa.

Foreign.

You can bring your attention to the breath.

Again, letting go of any.

Judgment.

Any thoughts.

Or any feelings.

You don't have to be perfect at this.

All you have to do is continue to bring your attention.

Back to the breath.

Back to observing that feeling in your body.

Letting the thoughts come or go without.

Attaching.