Food For Thought Friday: Selective OCD Traits

Pop-Art-OCD

I was browsing Facebook the other night when I came across this article on Eenie Meenie Miney Mum’s Facebook page called ’10 things only perpetually on-time people will understand’. This is so me!

I am a very punctual person by nature and if I am running late somewhere then the anxiety sets in. This is another trait I picked up from my mum, but especially true when it comes to particular destinations: the airport (I was late ONCE in my life and held up the whole plane, not something I wish to repeat!), fertility appointment/procedures (I must have had a million panic attacks stuck in traffic during those years) and hospital appointments.

Yesterdays surgery appointment is a prime example. I needed to be there by 8.30am, was there at 8.10am and then sat in the waiting room until 2pm when they called me into a little room only to cancel on me and send me home, by which point I felt like my head was going to explode from lack of caffeine and was just happy to be able to have a coffee and get out of there!

I loved #6 on the list in the article which was:

Speaking of alarm clocks, we’re not above setting alarms in 15-minute increments, which leads to our iPhones looking like this *insert picture of iPhone alarm set for 15 minute increments*

I can one up that. My iPhone alarm looks like this:

iPhone alarm.jpg

Yes, it’s true. I am up at the crack of dawn to go to work, it’s a very sad state of affairs.

The thing is, like the quote at the top, I am selective in my OCD traits.

Being on time, straightening things – my desk at work needs to be tidy and everything lined up straight (I constantly straighten the computer keyboard, straighten the pile of paper etc), the business cards on the counter at work need to be straight or it bugs me and the cushions on my couch (though I am slowly learning that is a battle not worth fighting!) are my OCD traits. Oh, and pixalated images! They really get my goat.

Yet, my car is a mess and it doesn’t bother me. Rather, it’s not my mess so I am too stubborn to clean it and I can be stubborn for a very long time! This stands for a few things in my house but while the house stuff like toys spread all over the floor doesn’t give me heart palpitations like being on time does, I still can’t relax until the room I am in is tidy as I feel like I can’t think. Which is pretty standard at the best of times lately without copious amounts of caffeine, but is worse in cluttered situations which I am trying to rectify by being ruthless on the tossing out side of things at the moment. I’m getting there. Slowly.

Do you have selective OCD traits?

Linking up with #FYBF today.

21 thoughts on “Food For Thought Friday: Selective OCD Traits

    1. OMG tell me about it!! We have swimming lessons at 8.30am on a Saturday so I literally have to get up at 6am in order to make sure we get there on time! I have a 2 and a 3 year old … Enough said!

  1. Oh absolutely and I’m so glad it’s just me. My ‘living space’ has to be uncluttered and tidy. However, my bedroom and spare bedroom look like a bomb went off in them. You open my tiny walk-in cupboard and can barely move.

    Clutter and mess annoys the crap out of me, but I leave things get really dusty and revolting before I do anything about them!

    I’m frighteningly anal about having clean hands and feet. I hate eating with my fingers and when I do I wipe them between each mouthful!!!
    Deborah recently posted…The Gilmore Girls – 10 years onMy Profile

    1. You are so me! I hate eating with my fingers, it’s a running joke that I cut all the meat off my lamb chops or what not and then my husband picks up the bones and chews the rest off because I hate greasy fingers! Haha. I’m the same on the living quarters too, bedroom I can ignore but lounge needs to be tidy more often (hard with two toddlers though).

    1. Not a fan of your mother-in-law? I’ve had to tone mine down a bit too, especially the cushions being on the couches. Used to drive me nuts if they were thrown out of place! Yeah, nah. Not anymore!

  2. I think we must be related, Haidee, so many things in common!
    I once held up a plane at Auckland airport because I was engrossed in a book and didn’t hear the repeated calls (was definitely NOT the most popular passenger, when I eventually boarded).
    If my husband or daughter use my desk, and leave my keyboard crooked, I freak out. And I’ve got much better things to worry about than the dusty dashboard in my car.
    I’m now off to have a good nosey around your gorgeous space xx
    Lisa@RandomActsOfZen recently posted…10 Things That Make Me HappyMy Profile

    1. Must be because I get so engrossed in books too that I never hear my husband talk to me! Frustrates him no end! Haha. Hope you enjoyed your visit 🙂

    1. Haha, it’s funny aye! Everyone has weird little things that really bug them but not others. My hubby hates me leaving clothes on the floor in our room which doesn’t bother me in the slightest but heaven forbid he leave them next to the washing basket in the bathroom!

    1. Isn’t it funny how we can be sooo fussy about one thing and not at all about something else even though they kinda relate to one another! Women are weird (or rather, people – I’m sure men have some quirky traits as well!).

  3. When my husband and I started dating, he’d nudge some the pictures on the walls so they were slightly crooked. Not noticeable to normal people, but I’d see it and flip out! Then I’d spend the next 15 minutes checking all the pictures to see which ones he’d moved and which ones were still perfectly square 🙂 Def OCD here!
    Emma @ Life, kids and a glass of red recently posted…Mumma needs a break sometimes – Guest post from Yes Peas MummaMy Profile

    1. And you still married him?! Hehe, just kidding. My kids knock mine off centre all the times these days, crooked pictures is a bit of a thing in our house. I no longer bother fixing them unless I am having people over as it’s a waste of time!

  4. This is definitely me! I’m an organisation freak when it comes to being on time or the “good” markers and pens being placed back in their box. However I’m completely lacking in OCD traits when it comes to toys all over the floor or the folding/ironing baskets invading all the space in our laundry. As long as I’m on time, it’s all ok 🙂
    Tash @ Gift Grapevine recently posted…Our 8 favourite You Tube clipsMy Profile

    1. Me too! I’m happy to leave my folding sitting there as long as I can possibly get away with! And I don’t even know what an iron is … well, technically, we don’t actually have one 😉

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