I have a little bit of mild OCD. I believe certain things need to be kept in certain places and everything has a place. My OCD is so right on, I can actually tell if someone so much as sat at my desk if I was away. My chair is not is how I usually position it...which is typically what tips me off first.
Another tick that comes along with this is my fear that I've left the curling iron on when I leave the house. I have literally had to leave a church service to drive home to make sure I've unplugged it. I've driven a few blocks from the house in the morning only to drive back to make sure I've unplugged it. In all my years of dealing with this issue, I don't ever remember one time in which I didn't remember to unplug it. Yet, the thought bothers me so badly, I have to go back to check. My dad, who is a behavioral health counselor, says this is a typical OCD trait. Albeit, I never count toilet paper squares or have to habitually touch a door knob a certain number of times.
My grandfather taught me a little trick a couple of years back that has helped me have peace of mind in remembering if I've turned the curling iron off. He told me that when he wants to remember where something is, to "explode it." I didn't get it. So, he had to show me (this is typical for a Missourian). Once you place an item where you want to remember it, you explode it. In other words, you picture it exploding where it's sitting (and in most instances, I even make the sound too).
I thought it was goofy...but it really works. Why? Because you are taking an extra few seconds to focus on that item and remember it. So, in the morning, I explode my curling iron. Voila...no more having to turn around. Peace of mind is all in the explosion!
I found a nice little article in Psychology Today about memory and they also use this suggestion to remember where you put things. You can check out their official article: How to Remember Things
What are your OCD tendencies?
Another tick that comes along with this is my fear that I've left the curling iron on when I leave the house. I have literally had to leave a church service to drive home to make sure I've unplugged it. I've driven a few blocks from the house in the morning only to drive back to make sure I've unplugged it. In all my years of dealing with this issue, I don't ever remember one time in which I didn't remember to unplug it. Yet, the thought bothers me so badly, I have to go back to check. My dad, who is a behavioral health counselor, says this is a typical OCD trait. Albeit, I never count toilet paper squares or have to habitually touch a door knob a certain number of times.
My grandfather taught me a little trick a couple of years back that has helped me have peace of mind in remembering if I've turned the curling iron off. He told me that when he wants to remember where something is, to "explode it." I didn't get it. So, he had to show me (this is typical for a Missourian). Once you place an item where you want to remember it, you explode it. In other words, you picture it exploding where it's sitting (and in most instances, I even make the sound too).
I thought it was goofy...but it really works. Why? Because you are taking an extra few seconds to focus on that item and remember it. So, in the morning, I explode my curling iron. Voila...no more having to turn around. Peace of mind is all in the explosion!
I found a nice little article in Psychology Today about memory and they also use this suggestion to remember where you put things. You can check out their official article: How to Remember Things
What are your OCD tendencies?
0 comments:
Post a Comment