The Art of Doing Nothing (While Actually Doing Something) in OCD Recovery

If you have OCD, you’ve probably been told at some point to "just stop engaging" with your intrusive thoughts. And if you’re like most people, that advice felt about as useful as telling someone stuck in quicksand to "just stop sinking." The thing is, response prevention isn’t about sheer willpower or forcefully shutting thoughts down—it’s about the art of doing nothing, while actually doing something incredibly powerful.

Let me try to explain and talk about why mastering the art of non-engagement is a game-changer for OCD recovery.

What Is Response Prevention, and Why Does It Matter?

In Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, response prevention is the part where you stop feeding OCD. Intrusive thoughts? They show up uninvited and stay long after the party ends. Compulsions? That’s your attempt to make them go away or kick them out. The problem? The more you respond to OCD’s demands—whether by analyzing, neutralizing, washing, repeating, checking, seeking reassurance, or avoiding—the stronger it gets.

So, how do you weaken OCD? How do you get this uninvited guest to leave? You practice not engaging with its nonsense. But—and this is a big but—not engaging doesn’t mean resisting, avoiding, or suppressing. It means allowing thoughts to be there without trying to do anything about them. It means allowing this uninvited guest to linger around your house while you continue as usual.

This is where the art of doing nothing (while actually doing something) comes in.

The uninvited guests (intrusive thoughts)

Non-Engagement Responses:

When OCD throws an intrusive thought at you, it wants a reaction. It wants you to freak out, analyze, argue, defend yourself, reassure yourself, or take some kind of action to neutralize the discomfort or risk. What if, instead, you started responding with short, quick responses that do nothing more than acknowledge the presence of the thought? In essence, you are saying, "I see you OCD, but I'm not playing your game today."

OCD is very very sticky—if you touch it, even in the tiniest way, it’s going to stick, and before you know it, it’s all over you. OCD thrives on your engagement. By not engaging (either mentally or physically), you break the cycle and avoid getting stuck. No matter how awful, scary, immoral, inappropriate, or disgusting the thought may be, non-engagement remains your best option.

Examples of Non-Engagement Responses

• "Awesome, thanks for the thought."

• "Yup, that's a pretty interesting idea."

• "Anything is possible I suppose."

• "Cool."

• "Maybe that's true, maybe it's not."

• "Not going to figure that out."

Notice that none of these responses "touch" the thought. You're not agreeing or disagreeing. You're not approving or disapproving. You're not labeling it as good or bad, or true or false. Any of that would be engagement—which is exactly what keeps you stuck.

Essentially, you're doing nothing. But still something.

Imagine the uninvited guest wandering around your house (your brain), yelling that it's going to burn down, pointing out every possible threat, grabbing beers from the fridge, and making a mess. Meanwhile, you're carrying on with your night, disregarding the noise. You wait. Eventually, the uninvited guest gets bored and leaves on his own.

Of course, if I know OCD, just when you start to feel relief—ding dong!—he's back again. That’s okay. Keep using non-engagement responses. With time and practice, he will stop coming around so often.

Pleading the Fifth: A Simple But Powerful Response To OCD Accusations and Doubts

Another great way to practice response prevention is called "pleading the Fifth" with OCD. In legal terms, pleading the Fifth means refusing to self-incriminate. When OCD interrogates you with its accusations, "what ifs?" and "are you sure?" questions, you can simply refuse to participate in the conversation. Think of yourself as a witness on the stand, being accused of all sorts of things—and OCD is the relentless prosecutor firing questions your way. You know you are innocent, but each time you try to defend yourself, you are ambushed with more questions and accusations. Instead of answering, just plead the 5th. You are not admitting guilt, but you are no longer putting up an active defense. It's pointless, this prosecutor has had too many Red Bulls and isn't listening anyway.

Pleading the Fifth - sorry OCD

When you plead the 5th and refuse to respond, you’re shutting down the conversation. Defending yourself to OCD only fuels more OCD. No matter how hard you try to “figure it out,” OCD won't let you. That’s because logic is useless in recovering from OCD. OCD relies on you trying to debate, rationalize, or make sense of the thought to keep you stuck in its loop.

Examples of Pleading the Fifth

• "Not answering that, pleading the Fifth."

• "The Fifth."

• "The big number 5."

Notice that none of these responses touch the thought. One touch, and you're stuck. You’re not defending yourself. You’re not agreeing with the accusation. You’re not reviewing the evidence, looking to the jury for reassurance, imagining what prison would be like, or plotting your escape from the courthouse. You are simply acknowledging the accusation and pleading the Fifth, over and over again.

You are doing nothing, but essentially something.

And, as always, just when the attorney (OCD) starts to burn himself out and you begin to feel a sense of peace—BAM! He grabs another Red Bull and launches into a fresh round of accusations. That’s okay. Keep pleading the Fifth.

With time, the case will wind down, and eventually, it will be dismissed.

Final Thoughts on Nothing

Mastering the art of doing nothing (while actually doing something) is one of the most powerful tools in OCD recovery. It’s not passive—it’s a deliberate practice of allowing thoughts to exist without engaging in compulsions.

It won’t feel natural at first, but with time, your brain learns that intrusive thoughts don’t require a response. The less you entertain OCD’s demands, the weaker they become.

Remember that anxiety and distress, although uncomfortable, are not inherently dangerous. Embracing these feelings and allowing yourself to experience them can be a surprisingly effective path toward recovery.

If you’re struggling with OCD, Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP) is the gold-standard treatment, with an estimated 80% effectiveness rate for those diagnosed with OCD. I specialize in treating all themes of OCD using ERP and provide online therapy in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Washington, New Jersey, and Illinois.

If you’d like to learn more or schedule a free 20-minute consultation, you can reach me through my website: www.onlineanxietytherapist.com.

For additional resources, check out the International OCD Foundation for a list of qualified OCD experts.