Intrusive thoughts don’t ask permission before crawling into your brain, unfortunately.
They show up suddenly, often when you’re tired, stressed, or just trying to mind your business, and they can be brutal. These thoughts aren’t always based in truth, but they feel convincing enough to leave you shaken. They’re ridiculously common, too—research published in the Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders found that 94% of people experienced at least one in the three-month period leading up to the study. Here’s how to push back without spiralling, and start reclaiming a bit of calm in your own head.
1. Label the thought instead of believing it.
One of the simplest but most powerful things you can do is name it—“That’s an intrusive thought.” Labelling it helps you create distance between you and the content of the thought, so it feels less like a personal truth and more like a mental glitch. That change alone makes it easier to resist the spiral. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” you start asking, “Why is my brain serving me this nonsense right now?”
2. Don’t argue with it; disengage instead.
Trying to debate or reason with a disturbing thought usually gives it more power. You go in circles, hoping to prove it wrong, but all that effort keeps you mentally stuck with it. Instead, try noticing the thought and letting it pass like background noise. You’re not ignoring it—you’re just choosing not to feed it.
3. Do something small and physical to ground yourself.
Intrusive thoughts often pull you into your head. Doing something physical like splashing cold water on your face, stretching, or moving your body reminds you that you’re here, in the present, not lost in mental noise. It doesn’t need to be dramatic. Even standing up and shaking out your hands can interrupt the loop and bring you back into your body. It strange how effective this can be!
4. Use a “not helpful” test.
When a thought pops up, ask yourself: is this helpful or just hurtful? Intrusive thoughts often fail that test because they don’t offer solutions, clarity, or support. They just drain you. Reminding yourself that the thought isn’t helpful makes it easier to release. You don’t need to fight it; you just don’t need to entertain it anymore. It might take a while for this to sink in, but it will eventually.
5. Interrupt the thought with a pattern break.
Changing your posture, saying something out loud, turning on a song—anything that breaks the mental pattern helps weaken the thought’s grip. Intrusive thinking thrives on repetition and momentum. Even the smallest interruption can shift the cycle. The goal isn’t to erase the thought, just to stop feeding it enough attention to grow stronger.
6. Watch your language when you talk to yourself.
How you respond to an intrusive thought matters. Telling yourself, “I’m losing it” or “I can’t handle this” only increases the fear and makes the thought feel more real. Try responses like, “This is uncomfortable, but it’s temporary,” or “This is a false alarm.” The way you talk to yourself in these moments helps shape how powerful the thought becomes.
7. Remind yourself you’re not your thoughts.
Intrusive thoughts feel personal, but they’re not a reflection of who you are. They’re mental noise, shaped by stress, past experiences, or even just a tired brain trying to make sense of things. You don’t need to feel ashamed of them, by any means. You just need to remember they’re not your identity. You’re the one noticing the thought, not the one who created it on purpose.
8. Visualise the thought moving on.
Picture the thought like a cloud drifting by, a train leaving the station, or a page in a book you’re turning past. Giving it movement in your mind helps you feel less stuck with it. That visualisation helps you stay calm while the thought passes. There’s no need to push it away. Take a deep breath and just watch it move out of focus. This takes practice, but it really works the more you do it.
9. Keep your nervous system calm.
Intrusive thoughts often spike when your body is already tense. If your heart is racing, your breathing is shallow, or you haven’t slept, your brain becomes more likely to send distress signals. Focusing on deep, slow breathing or relaxing your muscles can help quiet the mental storm. A calmer body leads to a quieter mind.
10. Know that it’s common, even when it feels isolating.
One of the worst parts of intrusive thoughts is feeling like you’re the only one having them. But again, the truth is, they’re a lot more common than most people admit—they just don’t talk about them. You’re not broken for having a dark, weird, or scary thought pop up. The shame gets smaller the moment you realise you’re not alone in this.
11. Don’t try to force positivity right away.
Trying to replace a negative thought with a positive one too quickly can feel fake, and sometimes makes you feel worse for not bouncing back instantly. Intrusive thoughts aren’t something you can always out-positive. Start with neutral reminders instead, like, “This is just a thought” or “I’ve got through this before.” That middle ground often feels more believable when you’re in a spiral.
12. Create a calming routine for your mind.
Source: Unsplash When your brain is overstimulated all the time, intrusive thoughts have more space to sneak in. Giving yourself quiet moments throughout the day, even five-minute breaks, helps reset your mental environment. Whether it’s listening to music, journaling, or staring out a window, these moments create buffer space for your brain. It’s not about avoiding thoughts; it’s about creating enough calm that they don’t take over.
13. Talk back with compassion, not fear.
Getting harsh with yourself never helps. Calling yourself crazy or spiralling into fear about your thoughts just adds to the emotional load. Respond with curiosity or kindness: “That was a strange one. I wonder where that came from,” or “That thought was intense, but I’m okay.” Compassion gives you power, not panic.
14. If it keeps happening, get support.
Source: Unsplash Intrusive thoughts that stick around, worsen, or affect your daily life are worth talking about. You don’t have to handle it alone, and you’re not weak for needing help. Therapists are trained to deal with exactly this kind of thinking, and sometimes just having a plan or a strategy makes a massive difference. Support doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means you’re choosing peace over silent struggle.
