Overcoming Obsession | Psychology Today

Like all addictions, with time obsession makes us neglect parts of our lives we shouldn't. If allowed to become too consuming, obsession causes us to devalue important dimensions of our lives and tolerate their atrophy and even their collapse. But even if our lives remain in balance, if the object of our obsession is taken from us, we find ourselves devastated, often convinced we've lost our last chance at happiness

Do not seek to extinguish obsession but seek to control it. Our ability to bend our emotions to our will is poor, but not our ability to manage them. We can make our obsessions work for us rather than work us over. And we can learn to let them go when the time comes.

1. Distract yourself at varying intervals. Find something attractive and pleasurable to distract you from your obsession. Do something that takes you out of your own head like reading a book or starting a new habit.
2. Accomplish a task that helps put your obsession behind you. Often taking a solid step forward in some way frees you to walk away from an obsession temporarily to recharge your batteries. And when you do, turn back to something else in your life you've been neglecting
3. Finding and embracing a mission in life will defend you against the sense your life is meaningless.
4. Adopt a practice that grounds you. Do something physical in different surroundings to engage a different part of your mind that's interested in other things besides your obsession.
5. Allow time to pass. With time, many obsessions gradually lose their flavor.
6. Listen to what others tell you. If your close friends and family express concern over your being obsessed, they're probably right. Be open to these messages.