The Law of Less Work

“The bow that is always bent will soon break.” — Zen proverb

When recovering from OCD—no matter the modality—the law of less work is always relevant. Whether you’re doing ACT, ERP, or ICBT, this principle sits at the heart of the process.

What do I mean by “less work”?

When you have OCD, you are already working on overdrive. You’re trying to solve a perceived problem, and in doing so, you’re constantly exerting mental effort. A part of you knows this is an endless pursuit and sincerely wants relief, which is usually what brings you into therapy. But if you want to relax, you must stop trying to solve the problem. And if you want to stop solving the problem, you must stop working so hard. No matter which treatment you choose, recovery inevitably moves you in the direction of less work, not more.

Many people enter treatment expecting to “brute force” their way out of OCD. This makes perfect sense—OCD itself pressures you to solve, fix, analyze, and work harder. But this strategy always fails. You cannot brute force your way out of OCD any more than you can brute force yourself to relax on the couch. Relaxation is allowed, not achieved. Recovery unfolds through gentleness, not control.

Clients often describe a hunger for “tools” or “tricks,” as though getting over OCD is like discovering the perfect recipe for flan: add the right ingredients and voilà, relief appears. But OCD doesn’t work like this. You don’t need more tools, tricks, gimmicks, meditations, or analyses. You often need less of all of these. You now have full permission to stop working so hard. When this principle clicks, treatment becomes dramatically simpler―not easier, but clearer.

Of course, you still have to do the work of therapy. ERP involves exposures. ICBT involves reading, investigation, and various exercises. That is indeed work. But it is not the frantic, problem-solving, solution-chasing labor that launches you into the OCD stratosphere. That distinction matters.

In ERP, “less work” means surrendering to the exposure, dropping rumination, resisting the urge to “fix” anything, and trusting your therapist―and the process―to guide you.

In ICBT, “less work” means moving steadily—rather than urgently—through each element of the treatment. When you soak in each component, you build a natural understanding of how OCD functions and how to completely deconstruct its faulty reasoning process. After resolving inferential confusion, ICBT emphasizes a return to effortless, reality-based living. You engage with previously avoided situations with the same ease and ordinariness you bring to the non-OCD parts of your life. No self-talk. No mental rituals. No forced mindfulness. Just reality sensing and living.

So the next time you feel stuck, ask yourself:
“Do I feel like I’m running a marathon, or relaxing on the couch?”
If the answer is the former, stop running. Lie down—mentally and emotionally—and see what happens. You may be surprised to discover that the less you try to get better, the better you actually feel.