By Annabella Hagen, LCSW

When Laura began treatment, she told her therapist something that might sound familiar:“I know rumination doesn’t really help, but at least it feels like I’m doing something about these awful doubts!”

Even though she admitted that mentally replaying things wasn’t working, she couldn’t stop. She clung to the hope that maybe, eventually, it would help. If you’ve struggled with letting go of mental compulsions, you might relate to Laura’s experience.

Often, people with OCD are aware when they’re engaging in covert compulsions—those internal rituals meant to find certainty or ease discomfort. When fear, anxiety, shame, or guilt show up, the urge to “do something” can feel overwhelming. It’s hard to resist—even when you know the strategy doesn’t work.

For Laura, her OCD latched onto religious and moral scrupulosity. She constantly reviewed situations from the past: Was I dishonest when I didn’t leave a note after bumping that car door? At first, it seemed like harmless reflection. But as OCD dug deeper into her values, these moments became fuel for mental compulsions. Without realizing it, she was throwing more logs onto the bonfire.

Reigniting the Bonfire Metaphor

Picture this: you’re at a park with friends around a campfire. A ranger stops by and says all fires need to be out within the next hour. You glance at a stack of firewood nearby. Of course, you wouldn’t add more wood—you’d just let the fire burn out on its own.

This is what it’s like with OCD. The doubts are the fire. Compulsions—especially mental ones—are the logs. When you try to “fix” the doubt by trying to find all the possible answers, you’re feeding the fire. That’s what Laura was doing, over and over. She knew it wasn’t helping, but she didn’t know what else to do.

What Can You Do Instead?

The first step to breaking out of this loop is to create space between your thoughts and your actions. Mindfulness can help. When you become aware of what’s happening in the moment, you gain the power to choose how to respond—rather than react automatically.

Instead of fueling the bonfire, you can allow it to burn down on its own.

Here are two simple mindfulness practices that can make a big difference—especially when done regularly and intentionally:

1. Are You Here or There?

When your mind pulls you back into a past mistake or doubt, ask yourself:

Am I here—or there?

Then gently remind yourself: I’m here now. I can’t change the past. I don’t need to go back there. Say to your mind, Thank you, Mind, and gently bring your focus back to the present moment and attend to the task at hand.

2. Notice Your Actions Mindfully

Once a day, take 30 seconds to really notice what you’re doing.

Narrate your actions: “I’m brushing my teeth. I feel the bristles. I taste the mint.” Slow down. Keep narrating and noticing. Feel the moment.

Ask yourself, What can I appreciate right now?

Try these practices regularly and notice how your awareness increases the more you acknowledge the mind! These simple practices can help you respond to the doubt without fueling it.

Like Laura, you don’t have to keep feeding the doubt. You can choose to step back, notice, acknowledge, breathe, and let the bonfire burn out on its own.

Photo by Federico Maucci on Unsplash