Practice Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) Techniques

  • ERP helps retrain the brain to tolerate anxiety without performing compulsions.

  • Start with lower-intensity triggers and gradually work up to more challenging ones.

  • Always work with a trained therapist when possible, but self-help workbooks can also support progress.

Keep a Thought Journal

  • Track obsessive thoughts and the situations that trigger them.

  • Write down the outcomes when you resist compulsions to see how your anxiety reduces over time.

Delay & Distract

  • When you feel the urge to perform a compulsion, try delaying the behavior for 10 minutes.

  • Distract yourself with another task—reading, calling a friend or taking a walk.