Beginning 2026 with OCD can feel overwhelming, not just because of the fresh start energy—but because the pressure to reset, organize, and “do it right” can trigger a wave of intrusive thoughts and compulsions. As an OCD Counselor in Woodland Hills, I know that the start of a new year often brings with it resolutions, routines, and an emphasis on productivity—things that can feel especially challenging or even paralyzing when you’re living with OCD.

What makes the New Year so triggering for OCD?

Have you ever felt more anxious, rigid, or overwhelmed when January hits? For individuals with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, this time of year can increase symptom intensity due to common cultural themes like:

• Perfectionism: Feeling you must start the year “perfectly” or follow your routine exactly.
• Responsibility OCD: A heightened sense of obligation to protect others or make perfect decisions.
• Contamination OCD: New routines or public settings (e.g., gyms, travel) increasing fear of germs.
• “Just right” OCD: Feeling like resolutions, tasks, or days must begin or end in a specific, exact way.
• Uncertainty intolerance: Facing a whole year of unknowns can be deeply unsettling.

This pressure to “get it right” can lead to an increase in rituals, avoidance, reassurance-seeking, or mental checking—and can contribute to feelings of shame or burnout.

2 Tools to Navigate OCD Triggers in 2026

These bite-sized strategies are designed to help you start 2026 with self-awareness and compassion, not perfection or panic.

1. Reframe Resolutions as Gentle Intentions

Instead of rigid rules, try framing your goals as values-based intentions. OCD thrives on absolutes—so stepping into flexibility can reduce pressure. In order to navigate how triggering this can be, eliminate any absolutes from your goal-setting and replace them with intentions.

• Exclude anything finite from your goal-setting. Whatever you are trying to address by coming up with a number or timeline can likely be improved upon using neither. In fact, the journey along the way to most goals can be healing, beneficial, and inspirational – if you are able to see your accomplishments for what they are! For example, you may want to feel stronger, increase your flexibility, reduce aches and pains, or feel more confident. Try this: Instead of “I must exercise 5x a week,” reframe as “I value movement for my well-being. I’ll make room for it when I can.” Even in a scenario where you’d like to change a metric like blood pressure or cholesterol, you are more likely to make progress by focusing on a lifestyle that promotes health rather than tracking and keeping strict numbers. Remember to have an intention you can return to when you are thinking about what you are doing and why. The intention of showing yourself care by moving your body more can help you address your day to day approach. If you are too tired or too injured to move, maybe the best care you can take is to rest. If you are showing your body care, it is helpful to hydrate and eat enough. An intention gives you permission and a framework to meet your present needs, rather than solely focusing on something arbitrary that was decided weeks or even months ago.
• Remember that what you decide to work on in 2026 does not need to be set in stone on day one. Rather, when you set an intention, you can then experiment with how to integrate that into your routine. Using movement as an example, you may discover that there are times in the year when you are able to make a lot of room for movement. There may be less going on at work or with other obligations, or you may thrive more in certain seasons and have more natural energy. When you are aligning your process with the intention of moving your body when able, you might exercise once or twice a week for a little while, or even not at all if you are sick or injured.
• Touch base with someone who can help you stay focused on your intentions. It is much easier to make a lifestyle or routine change when you have a buddy, and harder to disappear into hyper-focused isolation. If you are able to share aspects of your goals with others, you can prevent yourself from disappearing into the pursuit of your goals. Those we see for OCD Therapy in Woodland Hills often relay that adding a social aspect helps them to appreciate the process more, and to remember that it is meant to be something sustainable and enjoyable. Of course, it is important to recruit the help of someone with whom you will not get into any sort of competition; both of you must agree to working towards the same gentle intention, without tracking and/or sharing of numbers or other metrics that might be triggering.

2. Use Exposure with Self-Compassion

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard therapy for OCD. When starting ERP, doing so with self-compassion can help to reduce burnout and internal criticism. ERP, like all therapeutic tools, is a marathon, not a sprint. The more tolerable you can make your emotional environment, the better.

• Showing yourself compassion bolsters the other efforts you make in managing your OCD. In our Woodland Hills OCD therapy sessions, we hear a lot from people who struggle with negative self-talk around confronting their triggers. This kind of internal environment isn’t as supportive as it could be when it comes to tackling tough stuff. Often, people think that “tough love” is the way to go when addressing challenges, but the opposite is actually true. While ERP is helping you manage your triggers, it is also important to support that work with self-care and self-compassion. While self-compassion might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you are confronting a trigger, you can create more space for it by developing and implementing a self-care routine. For example, if you are going to spend intentional time undertaking an exposure and response prevention endeavor, you might want to make sure you have time before and after for meditation, for an activity that refuels you, or for rest. Make sure your physical needs are met before you begin; have you had enough food and water in the day so far? Check in with yourself about any thoughts or feelings that are loud in your mind – can you address any of them before you begin? The more time you practice showing yourself care, the more natural a compassionate response will begin to feel.
• Always acknowledge that you are trying your best. If ERP was easy, you wouldn’t need it. It is important for you to always be able to take note of how great it is just to be working on your triggers. Otherwise, you’ll only feel okay about the process when you feel like you’ve “conquered” one (which could be a long time coming). Be honest with yourself about both things – that what you’re doing is hard, and that you’re doing a good job. Try this: When practicing an exposure (like not washing your hands after a non-dangerous activity), remind yourself: “This is hard and I’m learning to tolerate discomfort. I don’t need to punish myself.”
• How would you talk to a friend who was thinking the same thing? This is a tried and true tactic when you aren’t able to speak kindly to yourself: ask yourself what you would say to a friend in the same position. The odds are good that you wouldn’t call your friend names, or communicate anything to them that would make them feel judged and bullied. Whatever you would say to a friend, say it to yourself. Anything you wouldn’t say to a friend, refuse to say to yourself. Remind yourself, “I deserve kindness and compassion as I go through this process.” If you find yourself coming up with reasons why you “should” be able to do something you wouldn’t ask of a friend, pause. Correct yourself gently, with a reminder that that thought process is neither gracious nor helpful at this time. If you think you’ve uncovered a true shortfall in your therapeutic toolkit, you can make note of it to discuss in OCD therapy at a later time.

Key Takeaways

• The New Year can heighten OCD symptoms due to cultural themes of perfection, productivity, and uncertainty.
• Reframing your mindset from “fixing” to “accepting” can reduce shame and compulsions.
• Compassionate OCD tools (like ERP, grounding, and intention setting) are more sustainable than strict rules.
• You may undertake Exposure and Response Prevention during in-person or Online OCD Therapy, and you may want to use that time to explore compassionate goal-setting.

OCD Treatment in Woodland Hills 

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often misunderstood as simply hand-washing or checking locks—but it can affect many areas of life, including relationships, driving, and even the postpartum period. These intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can feel overwhelming and difficult to manage alone.

At our Woodland Hills office—or virtually—you can work with an OCD specialist who understands the full spectrum of OCD symptoms. Using proven methods such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness techniques, we’ll help you break the OCD cycle and build healthier, more empowered ways of living.

Contact us today for your complimentary 20-minute phone consultation with our Admin Team today!