Food and Supplements

Caffeine

I would strongly advise against consuming drinks that contain caffeine, as caffeine makes the brain more alert, and therefore you are likely to experience more anxiety than you otherwise would. For example, if OCD thought was going to generate an anxiety with an intensity of six out of ten, caffeine would cause that to rise to seven or eight out of ten

Both tea and coffee contain caffeine (coffee more so), so instead buy the decaffeinated versions. Or better still, start drinking chamomile tea (see below section), which doesn’t contain caffeine

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks contain caffeine plus extra stimulants such as taurine and guarana, as well as large amounts of sugar. This combination can make your body feel jittery or overstimulated, which can amplify the anxiety triggered by OCD thoughts. The overall effect usually lasts several hours.

Sugary Foods and Refined Carbohydrates

Foods high in sugar — such as chocolate, pastries, fizzy drinks, and white bread — can cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar, followed by a sudden drop. This sudden drop — often called a “sugar crash” — can make your body feel shaky, tense, or unsettled, which can amplify the anxiety you experience from OCD thoughts, and the effect usually lasts a few hours, similar to caffeine.

You don’t need to cut sugar out completely, but reducing large sugary snacks and replacing them with slower‑release foods (such as wholegrains or fruit) can help keep your body more stable.

Highly Processed Foods

Foods that are heavily processed — such as ready meals, fast food, crisps, and processed meats — often contain additives, preservatives, and high levels of salt. These can make your body feel more tense or dehydrated, which can indirectly increase anxiety.

When your body is slightly dehydrated or overloaded with salt, your heart rate can rise a little, and you may feel more on edge. For someone with OCD, this physical tension can make intrusive thoughts feel more powerful than they otherwise would.

Again, you don’t need to avoid these foods entirely, but reducing how often you eat them can help keep your anxiety more stable throughout the day.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea has a naturally gentle calming effect, and many people find it helps ease their anxiety.

If you’re new to it, start with one tea bag and let it brew for about five minutes so the flavour and calming properties develop properly. You should start to feel a bit of calmness within an hour. Within two hours you will begin to feel the full effect of its calming properties. In total, the calming feeling usually lasts for around four hours

If you can handle the taste, try using two tea bags, the calming effect will be even more. And the good thing there are no side effects for most people, as it’s a herbal remedy

My personal preference is to buy the Twinings branded tea bags, as they might have more chamomile in them, but you can try supermarket own brand if you feel the branded stuff is too expensive

Just a note: the taste isn’t the most enjoyable, but the calming effect makes it worthwhile.

Warm Milk

A warm cup of milk can have a gentle calming effect, mainly because warmth helps relax your body and slow your breathing. This relaxation can help ease the anxiety you experience from OCD. The effect is mild but noticeable for many people, and it typically lasts a few hours. If you don’t like plain milk, you can add a small amount of honey or use a lactosefree version — the warmth is the key part.

Magnesium-Rich Foods

Many people notice that when they feel anxious, their muscles tighten — especially in the shoulders, neck, jaw, and stomach. That physical tension can make the overall experience of anxiety feel more intense or harder to shake off. Foods that contain magnesium — such as bananas, almonds, cashews, spinach, and pumpkin seeds — can support a sense of physical calm by helping your muscles relax after they tense up. The effect is gentle but noticeable for many people, and it can last a few hours. Adding a magnesiumrich snack to your day is a simple way to help your body feel more settled.

Magnesium is also linked with better sleep quality for many people, as relaxed muscles and a calmer body can make it easier to drift off. The effect is gentle but noticeable, and it can last a few hours.

Bach Rescue Soothing Pastilles

These pastilles are also herbal remedies, and also have a calmative effect. They are more convenient than chamomile tea in that they can be carried around with you in your bag or jacket pocket. You can also tailor the number of pastilles you take to the amount of anxiety you are experiencing. For example, I normally take six pastilles when my anxiety level is six or seven out of ten, but I take ten pastilles when my anxiety is very high. As a rough guide, I weigh 120 kg, so you can adjust the above number of pastilles to take according to your weight.

Just like with chamomile tea, you should see the calming effect within an hour or so. Within two hours or so, you will begin to feel the full effect of its calming properties. In total the calmative effect lasts around four hours

Just to note, when I take ten pastilles it has somewhat of a laxative effect, so if you are going to take a large number of pastilles then make sure you have easy access to a toilet!

One tin contains around 35 pastilles and costs around eight pounds, so it is expensive, although some pharmacies and supermarkets (e.g. Boots and Tesco) normally have a ‘three-for-two’ offer on them, so it ends up costing less

Water

Individuals with OCD often experience increased physical strain, such as elevated heart rate, muscle tension, and higher metabolic activity. These changes raise the body’s demand for water, making adequate hydration important for supporting healthy body function. Proper hydration supports circulation, temperature regulation, and energy consistency, helping to prevent dehydration related fatigue or discomfort.

When dehydration does occur, the resulting fatigue or physical unease can make OCD related anxiety feel more intense.

The recommended intake of water is around 2 litres per day, but that isn’t realistic for most people. A simple way to stay hydrated is to add about 500 ml — roughly one extra bottle — to whatever you normally drink.

In addition to drinking water, hydration can also be supported through foods with high water content, such as soups, fruits, and vegetables. Incorporating these options helps the body stay adequately supplied and prevents dehydration related fatigue or discomfort.

Vitamins

Vitamins don’t directly help with OCD, as they have no calming properties, however they can indirectly help, in that they make you feel better overall, and hence the impact of the anxiety you experience may be a bit less

It normally takes around a month or so for you to feel the positive impact of vitamins, and of course keep taking them in the long term, as chances are you don’t get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet

Try to get vitamins that also contain gut friendly bacteria, as studies suggest gut health could also have an impact on anxiety