I have a lot I need to do for work and feel like I’m slacking but I’m just so overcome with my obsessions. I can hardly focus either due to the obsessions or lack of mental energy leftover after the episodes subside. I’m frustrated because I know what I need to do a lot and I have to get focused asap. Please encourage me to get a lot done at work this week. I need to tell myself I can do it and stick to it.
Take every small thing that you are able to do as a victory! Cheer yourself on and tell yourself, I can do one more good and productive thing, I just did something good and I can do one more thing that’s good. And keep doing just one more thing.
I'm having the same trouble. I don't know what the solution is yet, but I need to find my way to being focused on work too.
@Student of my mind 🧘♂️ It’s so frustrating. I actually like what I can do and with my brain power I can use it to have gotten promoted and excel in my career in almost any way I can think of, but no that brain power I need for it is being drained by ocd. It’s also depressing, knowing how much I can do and how much of my life I feel I am just wasting away
@marni I completely understand how you're feeling. I'm an Electrical Engineer, I've worked my way up from a technician by continuing my education and working hard to get where I am. I love what I do but I am so distracted by my ocd. My work knows what I'm dealing with because I took some leave time initially, and they've been understanding, but I need to get my focus back before the their understanding comes to an end. I've been falling behind at home and just a lot if areas due to these time management challenges from my rituals getting priority. I've been fairly productive in my adult years and all of a sudden I too feel like I'm wasting life, wasting time I won't get back, and trying not to dwell on it because I know that won't help. I guess for me, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and I'm trusting things will come together if I just keep my head down and do the steps I'm supposed to do. Though that's tough too because erp is a big struggle for me. But I'm trying, and I keep on trying.
@Student of my mind 🧘♂️ Right?! I’m in that exact same boat where I have a very supportive manager but there are instances soon where I have to be sure to really deliver. I’ve had so much time these last couple weeks and I got minimal done due to the OCD and there are moments it hits me where I’m just stressed due to the time lost and what I need to do, yet I still go back to the ocd. I’m a Quality Assurance Engineer.
@marni The last couple weeks have been tough for me too. On my time card this past Friday, I had to use PTO for half of my time these past two weeks. I've been at my computer and unable to focus, or I've been just stepping away from my computer all day to wash my hands or to do something else compulsion related, or if I'm remote trying to catch up on the basics at home that are also falling behind. Try not to be too hard on yourself. I don't think stress is going to help our brains to do our jobs well. Think positive, like think about staying calm and doing the tasks you can, as you can, and maybe just trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to. Make sure to break your tasks into small pieces too. As you take care of one small piece, and then maybe another, you'll start to see some progress build. You can do it, but just give yourself compassion. Make sure to get good sleep and eat well too, because ocd likes to creep in when hungry and tired. We're here, so we're on the right track!
@marni The comment about knowing what you’re capable of and feeling grief bc OCD prevents you from it resonates and hits me so hard, I’ve been trying to explain this to some people in my life but they don’t totally get how much my OCD disables me because they see that I have a good job etc and don’t know how much I’m just burnout outside of my job
I could have written this exact post you wrote. I can relate so, so, so, so, so, so genuinely much. Also to an extent where I start to obsess over my obsessiveness and dysfunction, and hyperfocus on all I need to do/can’t do, and what does this lead to? Feeling more doubt about my ability to overcome these patterns of dysfunction. IE = OCD is using how it can paralyze us, to plant even more doubt which fuels it. So, when I think about how I struggle to be productive, and I get 3% of my goals for a day done, I try to give OCD a non-engagement response. And give myself some “non-encouragement”, like “yeah maybe OCD will takeover my day again and I’ll never get anything done” and in an odd way that makes my brain actually reflect on how much even small wins I have daily. By focusing on those small wins, I start to feel better about my ability, it’s like a little spark of confidence! Which in turn makes me feel more happy and less discouraged which in turn helps me get more done. I don’t mean to be so long winded and I’m not sure if this helps. I mostly just wanted to say you’re REALLY not alone. And that our OCD can definitely get meta about our ability to function in life by using how much it disables us as proof. We’re always capable of surprising ourselves in positive ways and ERP can really help us get to those realizations!
@FJustRightOCD I really appreciate your response, it wasn’t long at all. I will absolutely try that. Yeah I feel scared and nervous about how little I get done and it hasn’t destroyed me yet but that is exactly right. And then we waste even more time because we are doing that instead of just doing tasks and it leads to more obsessions. I will try that technique though.
Also identifying the hours when we may be a bit more functional can be helpful. Like I know now that I function best early in the morning after a reg morning routine, and I know at a certain time my focus starts to sway. So I try to plan my schedule around this.
Yes. I’m in grad school- the last class of my program. I’m so close. But sitting down and doing the reading has become so challenging. I can’t focus at all because I’m obsessing over previous conversations. I had to ask for an extension on my last assignment. That’s just so not me. Comforting to know I’m not alone, at least.
@Anonymous @Anonymous I think I’ve done that in one way or another almost my whole life but with a significant other it can take it to a whole new level. It’s very very hard. I have a lot of goals as we are trying to save to buy a house together and my OCD is making it much more challenging to for me to accomplish them. Without it, I know I could do far more and much more quickly. It’s like throwing my brain away sometimes, it’s sad.
@marni Also, where can we request they add an edit feature here?
How does one do school and also have OCD? I used to be alright at school, now I can barely get anything done. I really don’t want to fail but every time I start working I get overwhelmed and my head hurts.
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?
how do you all deal with going to work while having ocd? i have to go to work tomorrow for the first time in a while and i’ve been obsessing really bad the past couple of weeks. i’m scared i won’t actually be able to function or anything because all i’ve been doing every day all day has been obsessing. i’m really nervous. any advice will be appreciated.
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