Why Your Therapist Keeps Bugging You to Eat and Sleep

Let’s talk about something that might sound incredibly simple but is actually deeply important: eating and sleeping. If you’ve ever sat across from a therapist (especially one who works with OCD), you’ve probably heard some version of: “When’s the last time you ate something?” or “How have you been sleeping lately?” And maybe you’ve rolled your eyes, thinking, “Aren’t we supposed to be working on my intrusive thoughts, not my lunch plans?” But here’s the truth: food and rest are part of the work.

As a professional OCD therapist, I’ve seen again and again how our basic physical needs, like sleep and nourishment, are closely tied to our mental health, especially when it comes to anxiety disorders like OCD. This isn’t about being naggy. This is about your metabolic system, and how it’s the quiet power plant that fuels both your body and your brain.

The Brain-Body Loop: Not Just a Metaphor

Here’s the science in plain English: your brain is a physical organ. It runs on glucose, needs rest to regulate, and depends on neurotransmitters to do its job. All of those processes are powered by your metabolism, that amazing system responsible for how your body turns food into energy, heals itself, balances hormones, and keeps things moving.

When your body isn’t getting what it needs, the brain feels it first. That means:

• Sleep deprivation can make intrusive thoughts louder and harder to manage.

• Skipping meals (or under-fueling) can make your anxiety spike and your ability to     

use coping skills crash.

• Constant stress without physical care? That’s like running a marathon on fumes.

If you’re someone living with OCD, your system is already working hard. Your brain’s alarm system is misfiring regularly, trying to warn you of danger when there isn’t any. That’s exhausting, and that’s just the mental part. Now imagine doing all that with no sleep, low blood sugar, and a nervous system running in overdrive. Of course things feel worse.

Why We Ask About Food and Sleep in Therapy

I know, talking about protein intake when you’re overwhelmed by obsessive thoughts can feel beside the point. But the reason we ask about it is because it’s foundational. Think of ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) like building a house: you can’t work on the walls if the foundation is crumbling.

When your metabolic system is dysregulated, your body can’t distinguish real danger from false alarm signals as easily. That means:

• You’re more likely to feel flooded with anxiety.

• You may have a harder time resisting compulsions.

• You might struggle to engage in exposures with full presence.

Getting enough sleep and food doesn’t cure OCD, but it does make treatment more effective, more sustainable, and frankly, more humane.

Your Mental Health Is Your Physical Health

One of the biggest misconceptions in our field is that the brain and the body are two separate things. They’re not. They’re one system. When we ignore the physical, we are neglecting a core part of healing. That’s why your therapist might ask you to:

• Bring a snack to session (we’ll always have some at the clinic too).

• Track your sleep for a few days.

• Notice how your symptoms shift after a full meal or a restful night.

We’re not trying to parent you, we’re trying to optimize the conditions under which your brave, hard work can flourish.

A Gentle Reminder

If you’re deep in OCD treatment or struggling with anxiety, please don’t underestimate the power of a sandwich and a solid nap. You are doing a lot, emotionally, cognitively, neurologically, and metabolically. And you deserve a system that’s fully resourced to meet that challenge.

So yes, I’ll probably keep bugging you to eat and sleep. Not because it’s the only thing that matters, but because it matters more than most people realize.

Be kind to your body. It’s the only one you’ve got. And it wants to help you heal.

If you need some accountability or help navigating your intrusive thoughts, reach out to us today!