Correct Vs. Incorrect Refocusing - OCD Recovery

Summary3 min read

OCD Recovery Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: OCD Recovery
Host: Ali Greymond
Episode: Correct Vs. Incorrect Refocusing
Date: June 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ali Greymond explains the vital difference between correct and incorrect refocusing for people in OCD recovery. Drawing from nearly two decades of experience and her own journey with OCD, Ali highlights why understanding the motivations behind refocusing is critical, and offers practical, everyday advice for listeners seeking lasting recovery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Purpose of Refocusing (00:14)

Correct refocusing: Choosing to shift your attention from OCD thoughts to practical, productive tasks, not out of fear, but because daily living is more important.
Quote:

"It's okay to refocus in order to stop rumination. So the thing about refocusing is you have to have a good reason to refocus. A good reason would be: this is my nonsense OCD thought number 1 million... and I actually need to be thinking about my work."
— Ali Greymond (00:14)

2. Everyday Living over Rumination (00:33)

Ali stresses focusing on useful, everyday tasks—like your work or to-do list—instead of getting stuck in obsessive thinking about the past, future, or hypothetical scenarios.
Quote:

"That's good refocusing that you should be doing all day long and that's really how you should be living your life."
— Ali Greymond (00:33)
She cautions that anything metaphysical or psychological that isn’t practical is just "straight up active rumination."

3. The Danger of Fear-Based Refocusing (00:50)

Incorrect refocusing: Driven by fear, it involves frantic efforts to distract yourself (e.g., turning the TV up, seeking endless reassurance) to escape anxiety.
Quote:

"Bad refocusing is when you say, 'I am so scared to have this thought, I gotta do anything and everything to get rid of this thought.'"
— Ali Greymond (00:50)
Such actions reinforce the disorder because they stem from fear, not rational assessment.

4. Recognizing Motivations for Refocusing (01:33)

Ali encourages listeners to self-reflect whenever they attempt to refocus:
- Ask yourself: Did I refocus because it was the right, healthy thing to do? Or was I just running from fear?
If the motivation was fear, decide to do it differently next time.

5. The "Millionth Thought" Principle (01:50)

A recurring theme is that OCD thoughts often repeat with slight nuances, giving the illusion of importance.
Quote:

"It's that decision that this is thought number 1 million. Yes, it's slightly different. Yes, the nuances are a little bit different, but it's really the same thought." — Ali Greymond (01:50)
The advice: Don’t try to solve each slight variation—refocus on real-life tasks instead.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On rumination:

"Anything metaphysical, psychological. I had a thought, I had a feeling. The past, the future, all of that is straight up active rumination, right?" — Ali Greymond (00:40)
On feeding the disorder:

"Whenever you come from a position of fear, you feed the disorder." — Ali Greymond (01:10)

Important Segment Timestamps

What is good refocusing? – 00:14
What to focus on daily (practical tasks vs. rumination) – 00:33
Examples of fear-based (incorrect) refocusing – 00:50
Self-reflection on reasons for refocusing – 01:33
The "thought number 1 million" approach – 01:50

Key Takeaway

Ali Greymond emphasizes that how and why you refocus your mind is crucial for OCD recovery. Refocus because you value your life and daily functioning, not to run from anxiety. If you notice yourself acting out of fear, gently shift back to refocusing on meaningful, practical life activities—again and again.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
A
I'm Ali Graymond. I'm an expert in OCD recovery because.
[00:03]
B
For the last 19 years I've been.
[00:05]
A
Helping people fully recover from OCD. If you would like to do personal coaching with me, all the information is on youhubocd.com you can sign up from there.
[00:15]
B
It's okay to refocus in order to stop rumination. So the thing about refocusing is you have to have a good reason to refocus. A good reason would be this is my nonsense OCD thought number 1 million. I've had many of these types of thoughts and I actually need to be thinking about my work or what am I going to do next or my tasks for the day. So that's what I'm choosing to focus on. So that's good. Refocusing that you should be doing all day long and that's really how you should be living your life. Focusing on every day in important practical things, anything metaphysical, psychological. I had a thought, I had a feeling. The past, the future, all of that is straight up active rumination, right? So that type of refocusing is good. Bad refocusing is when you say, I am so scared to have this thought, I gotta do anything and everything to get rid of this thought. So I'm going to sing a song, I'm going to turn the TV really loud. I am going to have never ending conversations with people. I'm gonna, whatever it is. Like I'm, I'm not sure what you do, but it's if you're doing it for that reason that you are afraid of the anxiety of the content of something like that coming into your brain and you're trying to run away from it. A fear based response, that's not good. That's. It's also refocusing. Right? But notice the difference between the two. With the first example, I told you that you're trying to make a choice that's better for you. You're saying, I have better things to do, I'm going to go do those better things. That's, that doesn't come from a position of fear. This, when you're saying I am so afraid, I need to run away from these thoughts and anxiety that is coming from a position of fear. And whenever you come from a position of fear, you feed the disorder. So there's different types of refocusing and you need to ask yourself, let's say you tried to, you tried to refocus and divert your attention to something else today. Why did you do that? Did you do it for the right reasons and if you didn't switch and do it for the right reasons next time and it's that again, that decision that this is thought number 1 million. Yes, it's slightly different. Yes, the nuances are a little bit different, but it's really the same thought. You've already had this a million times, so make the choice to do stuff that's actually productive in the day rather than trying to figure out that number 1 million. And that would be correct.
[02:58]
A
Refocusing. Thank you for listening. If you have not subscribed, please subscribe. If you would like to do private coaching with me, please sign up through youhaveocd. Com. I'll see you tomorrow.