- Username
- StillHoldingOn
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I haven’t really been very successful in making it a new habit but sometimes I’ll just set a timer for 5 minutes and so as much cleaning or picking up as I can. I always feel better after! But it’s hard to get started. It’s overwhelming to think of all I need to clean - I agree.
Thank you so much. It really helps to know that there are others who understand! Ty for the helpful tip
One of the things that I often teach people that I work with is that feelings often catch up to our behavior- what I mean by that is that the more we behave the way we want and value (example: cleaning house) the more we "feel" like doing it. It is like they say with exercise- you don't feel like it often but once you do it you start to enjoy it and feel like doing it more. The worse thing someone who is depressed/anxious can do is to stay in bed and not get up and do the things they know they need to do. But it is also one of the hardest. Don't base what you do on how you feel in that moment, I think that is the key.
Thank you for your comment. It means a lot ❤️
I did start going to the gym about 3 weeks ago to do something for myself. I will sometimes get a lot of anxiety and start thing "what if this because a new obsession" "what if I become a person that always watched what they eat" & blah blah blah and when thoughts like that come I do ERP BUT I try not to let my OCD get the best of me when I know I'm only going to the gym to better myself mentally and physically,
Thanks for the reply. It means a lot ❤️
anybody out there with perfectionism OCD? I didn't even know I had it, because my main safety behavior is avoidance. I am having trouble cooking, cleaning, and exercising! any advice? ("Just doing it" is too anxiety producing atm)
Sometimes I have so much that I want to do (cleaning, exercise, hobbies, etc) but OCD makes it so hard to have energy...especially when I'm practicing not doing compulsions! Does anyone have any tips for making it easier to do everyday activities when you aren't feeling mentally great?
I'm 37, been diagnosed with depression and anxiety since I was 16. I've thought for a few years now that I may have some ocd tendencies. But I feel like they are getting worse. I clean, every single day. I have to vacuum 2-3 times a day or I cannot relax. I have to vacuum every morning, or I can't concentrate on work, I vacuum later in the day, then again before bed to help me relax. I can't skip a day...if I do it nags at me. I'm also a perfectionist?!? I get highly irritated if things are out of order, or my house is chaotic. Sit on the furniture wrong and squash my pillow? My anxiety or irritation spikes until the person gets up and I can go fix that space. I also obsess over things, and seek answers/validation from others. When I tried leaving my job for another, I talked to anyone that would listen. Obsessing for weeks and weeks wondering if I was making the right choice, looking for someone to answer me. I could NOT think of anything else. I'm assuming this is ruminating? Now, most recently, I've been having awful intrusive thoughts. Every single night. Mostly about loved ones dying, and how will I go on. I work myself up, have anxiety attacks and cry. ...this makes sense as to why I feel the need to constantly clean or be doing something, so I don't have to think these thoughts. In my head if I can just make it to morning, nothing bad will happen during the day. I'm ferried my phone will go off at night with bad news. It's making it hard to sleep, I don't want to relax because my mind drifts to these intrusive thoughts. I don't know...no one had diagnosed me, but I feel like some signs are there. I feel like I'm slowly going crazy...and I'm so very tired of it.
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