What is the ignore technique?

The ignore technique is a strategy used to deal with unwanted or intrusive thoughts. It involves acknowledging the thought or urge, but not placing any importance on it or reacting to it. The goal is to let the thought pass without engaging with it.

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How does the ignore technique work?

The ignore technique works by short-circuiting the obsessive cycle that can happen with intrusive thoughts. Here are the steps to using this technique:

Notice the intrusive thought or urge pop into your mind. Don’t try to suppress or fight it.
Tell yourself “I’m having the thought that [insert thought here].” Acknowledge the thought’s presence matter-of-factly.
Say to yourself “I’m not going to engage with or judge this thought.” This stops you from obsessing over the thought.

Refocus your attention onto something else – your breath, the sights/sounds around you, or an activity.
Allow the thought to pass like a cloud moving across the sky. Don’t try to figure out what it means or analyze it.
Repeat this process each time the intrusive thought comes back into your mind.

The key thing is to acknowledge the thought’s existence, but then dismiss it. Don’t engage with or feed into it. This technique takes away the power of the intrusive thought over time.

When is it helpful to use the ignore technique?

The ignore technique can be helpful for dealing with the following kinds of intrusive thoughts or urges:

Obsessive worries about contamination, illness, accidents, etc.

Urges related to OCD that you want to resist doing.
Upsetting mental images or impressions that pop into your mind.
Embarrassing sexual, violent, or blasphemous thoughts.

Ruminating on mistakes, faults, imperfections, or regrets.
Overthinking during conversations or social interactions.

The key is that these thoughts/urges seem to come on against your will and cause distress. The ignore technique helps you stop empowering these thoughts.

How is the ignore technique different from thought suppression?

The ignore technique differs from thought suppression in a few key ways:

It embraces acceptance rather than avoidance. You acknowledge the thought instead of pretending it’s not there.
It refuses to engage with the thought instead of forcefully pushing the thought out.

It focuses on allowing the thought to dissipate naturally rather than making it seem threatening.
It makes the thought irrelevant rather than highlighting its importance through suppression.

Research shows that thought suppression often makes intrusive thoughts stronger and more frequent. The ignore technique starves intrusive thoughts instead of expending energy fighting them.

Does the ignore technique make the thoughts go away entirely?

In most cases, the ignore technique will not make intrusive thoughts disappear forever. The goal is to reduce how much attention and importance you give to these thoughts. This makes them less frequent and less distressing over time. However, intrusive thoughts may still pop up occasionally even with regular practice.

It requires patience and consistency. The more consistently you starve intrusive thoughts of attention, the quieter they become. But they may not vanish completely, especially if you have underlying mental health conditions fueling them. The ignore technique aims for management, not perfection.

How can you remember to use the ignore technique in the moment?

It can be challenging to remember to apply the ignore technique when you’re in the midst of an intrusive thought. Here are some tips:

Post reminders in places you’ll see often like your bathroom mirror or computer.
Set phone alerts to remind yourself to ignore intrusive thoughts.
Tell friends/family so they can prompt you to use the technique.

Come up with a phrase to repeat when thoughts come, like “This too shall pass.”
Keep practicing the technique regularly so it becomes more automatic.
Notice triggers that set off intrusive thoughts and prepare in advance.

How can you deal with avoidance caused by intrusive thoughts?

Intrusive thoughts often cause people to start avoiding situations out of fear of triggering those thoughts. For example, someone afraid of violent thoughts may avoid watching action movies. Here’s how to cope with avoidance tied to intrusive thoughts:

Use exposure therapy to gradually face avoided situations under controlled conditions.
Lean into uncertainty and do avoided activities without needing certainty first.

Accept the discomfort of entering avoided situations as it comes and goes.
Remind yourself avoidance reinforces intrusive thoughts, while facing fears weakens them.
Start small to build confidence. For example, if avoiding social events, try a short store trip first.

Ask a therapist about how to create an exposure hierarchy to feared situations.

Does the ignore technique work for getting songs “unstuck” from your head?

The principles of the ignore technique can also be applied to dealing with catchy songs or musical earworms stuck on repeat in your head.

When you notice yourself fixated on replaying a song mentally, use the same approach. Acknowledge the song playing in your head. Say to yourself “I’m going to allow this song to finish without engaging with it.” Then focus your attention elsewhere until the urge to replay the song passes. The key is not trying to force the song out with effort or suppression.

How can you explain the ignore technique to young children in an age-appropriate way?

Here are some tips for introducing the basics of the ignore technique to young children who struggle with intrusive thoughts:

Use kid-friendly metaphors like ” treat the thought like a leaf floating away in a stream” or “let the thought be like a cloud passing in the sky.”
Have them picture thoughts written out on pieces of paper and ripping the paper up or crumpling it.

Suggest focusing their attention on counting, naming colors, singing songs, or other distraction tasks.
Explain ignoring it means not giving the thought more attention or energy.
Emphasize this is about dealing with “nagging thoughts” rather than all thoughts.

Praise them when they practice allowing thoughts to pass without reacting to them.
Remind them not to judge themselves for having troubling thoughts.

The key is keeping the concept simple. With practice, they will improve at allowing intrusive thoughts to come and go without escalating distress.

Does the ignore technique work for loud, nagging thoughts when trying to fall asleep?

Yes, the ignore technique can be applied to intrusive thoughts that interfere with falling asleep. The steps are:

Notice the intrusive thought arrise when trying to fall asleep.
Tell yourself “I’m just going to allow this thought to pass by without engaging it.”

Visualize the thought as something harmless passing, like clouds.
Concentrate on deep breathing and relaxing each muscle progressively from head to toe.
If needed, get out of bed briefly before returning to reduce frustration.

Remind yourself struggling with the thought only empowers it.
Repeatedly bring your mind back to your breath if thoughts intrude again.

It takes practice, but this approach can lessen the grip intrusive thoughts have on your mind at bedtime. Be patient and consistent applying the steps.

How can you explain the ignore technique simply to someone who has never heard of it?

Here is a simple way to explain the ignore technique to someone unfamiliar with the concept:

“The ignore technique is a strategy for dealing with intrusive and unwanted thoughts. It works by acknowledging these thoughts briefly when they pop up, but then refusing to engage with or feed into them. You let the thought pass by without obsessing over it. The goal is to take away the power these thoughts have over you. If you stop giving them so much attention and energy, the thoughts become less frequent and distressing over time. Whenever the thought comes back, you just repeat the process of acknowledging it without reacting to it. The consistency is key – it starves the thought rather than struggling against it. People often intuitively do this to stop an annoying song from replaying repeatedly in their heads. The ignore technique applies this same idea to intrusive thoughts that cause distress.”

What are some common mistakes people make when first trying the ignore technique?

Some common mistakes people make when attempting the ignore technique include:

Trying to force the thoughts away completely or suppress them.
Getting angry or impatient that the thoughts keep coming back.
Analyzing the content or meaning behind the thoughts.

Avoiding potential triggers of the intrusive thoughts.
Expecting immediate results rather than consistency over time.
Assuming the technique has failed if a thought recurs in the short-term.

Judging themselves for having intrusive thoughts.
Focusing too much mental energy on the thoughts.
Forgetting to practice the technique outside of thought occurrences.

It takes patience and an understanding that intrusive thoughts reduce but may not vanish entirely. Avoidance and suppression tend to make matters worse. The key is allowing thoughts to come and go naturally without reacting to them.

What are some signs the ignore technique may not be working?

Signs that the ignore technique may not be effective for someone’s intrusive thoughts include:

No reduction in how often or intense the thoughts occur after consistent practice.

The individual cannot tolerate the uncertainty of allowing thoughts to occur without reacting.
Thoughts continue triggering high anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
The person cannot resist doing compulsions or rituals in response to thoughts.

New intrusive thoughts regularly pop up as older ones are ignored.
The technique increases feelings of dissociation from reality.

In such cases, it may be necessary to seek additional treatment such as therapy or medication to manage the intrusive thoughts. The technique requires accepting some continued thought recurrence.

How can you make the ignore technique into a mindfulness practice?

Applying principles of mindfulness can enhance the effectiveness of the ignore technique. Ways to make ignoring intrusive thoughts more mindful include:

Noticing thoughts and bodily sensations without judging them as good or bad.
Bringing full awareness to the present moment rather than getting lost in thoughts.

Practicing meditation techniques like observing the breath and scanning the body.
Letting thoughts come and go naturally without clinging to or pushing away any.
Repeating peaceful mantras that reinforce allowing thoughts to pass.

Reframing struggles as opportunities to build mindfulness skills.
Remembering that disturbing thoughts do not define you or reality.
Acknowledging but not following any impulses thoughts trigger.

A mindful, meditative approach allows you to step back as an observer of your thoughts rather than engaging with them. Practicing this mindset strengthens the ignore technique.

Can the ignore technique be combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) tools?

Yes, CBT techniques can enhance the ignore method’s effectiveness when applied properly. Some options include:

Cognitive restructuring – Reframing distorted thinking patterns about the meaning of thoughts.

Labeling cognitive distortions – Identifying thought errors like catastrophizing.
Journalling – Tracking when thoughts occur and successes ignoring them.
Evaluating probabilities – Assessing realistic odds instead of assuming the worst.

Positive self-talk – Using encouraging statements like “This thought will pass.”
Mindfulness tools – Using the present moment to let thoughts go.

CBT gives you more resources to disengage from thoughts. But take care not to slip back into challenging thoughts or trying to eliminate them entirely.

How can you explain the ignore technique to a therapist unfamiliar with it?

Here are some tips for effectively explaining the ignore technique to a therapist who is unfamiliar with the approach:

Note it focuses on allowing intrusive thoughts to pass naturally without reacting to them.
Explain how it differs from thought suppression which often backfires.

Emphasize consistency matters more than expecting instant elimination of thoughts.
Share any research or resources that describe the technique in detail.
Give examples of how to apply the technique to different types of intrusive thoughts.

Point out that the goal is management of thoughts rather than perfection.
Offer to demonstrate the technique in session when intrusive thoughts occur.
Discuss ways therapy could support using the technique like exposure methods.

Providing thorough information will help the therapist understand and incorporate this approach into treatment.

How can you troubleshoot if the ignore technique stops working over time?

If the ignore technique seems to lose effectiveness after a period of time, there are some troubleshooting steps to take:

Consider if you need a mental health evaluation to uncover any underlying factors.

Assess whether you have slipped back into subtly engaging with thoughts.
Try combining the technique with supplemental therapies like CBT or ACT.
Rule out environmental triggers that may be exacerbating thoughts.

Examine if you need to reconnect with your motivation and consistency.
Check if thoughts have morphed requiring re-learning how to ignore them.
Adapt your approach like adding mindfulness or meditation practices.

Refresh your practice with new reminders, tools, and education.

Troubleshooting helps adjust your approach to regaining control over intrusive thoughts over time. Consistent practice is still essential.

Conclusion

The ignore technique can be an effective cognitive behavioral tool for managing intrusive thoughts. By acknowledging but refusing to engage with these thoughts, you can reduce their influence and frequency. To leverage the benefits of this technique, be consistent in your practice, have realistic expectations, and don’t judge yourself for thoughts. Combine the approach with other therapeutic methods and mindfulness for best results. With patience and diligence, you can weaken the grip of intrusive thinking.