How to prevent obsessive thoughts from causing us insomnia?

Obsessive thoughts are part of the most frequent forms of psychological discomfort. However, the problem that they can cause us goes beyond the fact of feeling bad at the moment which appear in our consciousness, because if we do not manage them well, they give rise to other complications. And some of them, if they last too long, become real disorders.

An example of this is seen in how obsessive thoughts managed in an inappropriate way give rise to problems falling asleep. Therefore, here we will see some strategies to prevent obsessive thoughts from causing insomnia.

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What are obsessive thoughts?

Obsessive thoughts are mental images and ideas that arise involuntarily in our consciousness and, in addition to remaining in it too long, generates discomfort in us because they are disturbing or anxiety-producing, so our attention is "hooked" in her; in turn, the strong emotional reaction these thoughts produce in us makes us more likely to bring them into our minds over and over again, in part because the stimuli that we are receiving from our environment remind us of that, and partly because by trying not to think about it again, we get the effect contrary.

So that, obsessive thoughts lead to a vicious cycle of discomfort and constant avoidance that keep us on edge, on alert in case we experience that discomfort again and trying not to expose ourselves to what makes us think about it again. On the other hand, this attempt to deny what worries us contributes to making us feel unprotected in the face of it, and sometimes makes us objectively unprotected: for example, if What makes us feel bad is the idea of ​​having a lot of work accumulated and we try not to focus on that, we do not attend to those responsibilities and we have less and less time to dedicate to them

However, We should not confuse "plain" obsessive thoughts with the obsessions that cause Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This last type of obsessions generate a level of discomfort so intense and with such a capacity to “invade” our aware that before them we feel the need to carry out chains of repetitive actions to move them away from our mind; these actions are known as compulsions, and whenever a person who has developed OCD performs them, they try to do it as accurately and meticulously as possible (if you make a mistake or do it incompletely, go back to begin). Over time, obsessions and compulsions reinforce each other, increasing in frequency and intensity, and with it, the mental health of the person deteriorates rapidly, so it is necessary to go to therapy sooner.

Thus, when we talk about obsessive thoughts in general, we are not referring to the obsessions typical of OCD, since the latter constitute a mental health problem qualitatively different from the rest, and are included in their own category in the manuals diagnoses. Therefore, in this article we do not focus on the psychological imbalances produced by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, but we talk about the type of obsessive-type thoughts that we can get to experience all of them on a daily basis, without the need to have developed a diagnosable psychopathology and that, from time to time, can make it difficult for us to reconcile the sleep.

• You may be interested: "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): what is it and how does it manifest?"

What to do so that obsessive thoughts do not generate insomnia?

From what we have seen so far, it is already intuited that obsessive thoughts can become an anxiety bomb, because they keep us in a "state of alert". And as you surely know, excessive anxiety does not go well with the experience of sleeping, in which the state of relaxation is fundamental. Therefore, to prevent one problem from leading to another, follow these tips.

1. Manage your time

As we have seen, sometimes obsessive thoughts emerge from a real problem in which we have some control and decision-making capacity. Therefore, it is important that anxiety does not paralyze us, something that will be much easier if you internalize time management guidelines. Faced with that task that is waiting for you and that you don't want to think about, break it down into several sub-goals distributed in a relatively simple sequence of actions, so that the whole does not seem so intimidating and offers you accessible goals in the very short term. Then, give yourself deadlines to complete each task, and focus only on the next ones to tackle. This way, once you've taken the first steps in the direction of solving the problem, you won't have as many reasons to obsess over it.

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2. Exercise in the afternoon

Exercise is a very good way to relieve tension and disconnect, making it a useful resource against anxiety and obsessive thoughts. However, another of the effects of these practices is that keep our nervous system very active, and can get to modify our internal clock; that is why it is not recommended to exercise shortly before going to bed. To get some of the benefits of exercise without making it part of the problem, do it in the mid-afternoon, 8-6 hours before bed.

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3. Learn relaxation exercises

There are several simple relaxation exercises that you can learn in a matter of a couple of days and that you will be able to easily apply to your daily life a few minutes before going to sleep. For example, Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation or controlled breathing. They will help you do a mental “reset” and mitigate anxiety levels, so you will be less predisposed to attracting obsessive thoughts to your mind.

• Related article: "6 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress"

4. If the situation does not improve, go to psychotherapy

In case nothing seems to work, you probably need the personalized professional support of a psychologist or a psychologist. In therapy you will learn to recognize the origin of the problem that affects you and you will receive training in ways to deal with those emotions so that they do not overwhelm you.

• You may be interested: "The 10 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

Do you need professional psychological help to overcome obsessive thoughts?

If you are looking for psychotherapy services, get in touch with us.

In PSiCOBAi We work serving people of all ages, intervening in problems such as disorders anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, insomnia or low self-esteem, among others. We offer face-to-face and online sessions by video call.