The other day on the Yahoo forum, someone posted a link to this talk about "trying something new for 30 days." It was great timing, because I've been thinking a lot lately about both changing habits and the elasticity of the brain.
Over on the forum, Sheila challenged us to pick a compulsion to give up for 30 days. I know what I choose: for 30 days, I will NOT do anything with my neighbors' garbage cans: I will not move them, I will not put them out if they don't, I will not close the lid if the rain blows one open. I don't think it's going to be easy, but I'm sure going to try. And it just might become a habit.
Do you want to join me? I think we can do it!
Posts
You are stronger than you think!
1 year ago
Good Lord - I'm trying to stop all of my compulsions for 30 days! If PMS (and other things) just wouldn't get in the way. Hehe. I find your blog so inspirational and motivating! Thanks for your posts!!!
ReplyDeleteYep, in theory I should be giving up all my compulsions for 30 days. But since, well, that's not happening, I figured I'd pick one really juicy one.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann. I will be joining you in the OCD challenge. I struggle with "Hit and Run OCD." This is when you constantly think you are hitting people w/your car. I usually will compulsively drive back to the scene or do things like check online news for reports of hit and run accidents, etc. I'm going to try very hard not to follow through with any of my compulsions with regard to this for the next 30 days. Thanks for the challenge!
ReplyDeleteGreat, 71 & Sunny.
ReplyDeleteGo, us!
Hmmm, which one should i pick? I think i'm kind of attached to my compulsions. :)
ReplyDeleteI think i'll stop watching the neighbors with their garbage cans- what they do with them etc. If i hadn't been watching as they came home and put their garbage cans away, i wouldn't have noticed that they probably touched their garage door after putting them away. Then my ocd spike of the night wouldn't have happened. It's not as reoccuring as yours but if i stop worrying about what OTHERS are doing re their washing habits/ or not, then that would be good for me.
This is a great idea Ann, and thank you! Similarly to 71, I have aggressive OCD, except that instead of dealing with hit-and-run with cars it's on foot. Most people I pass by, talk to, even look at, I get hit with awful, gory intrusive thoughts so I constantly walk back to the spot where I talked with/saw/passed by said person/people to check for dead bodies. It worsens when I'm hungry, sick, or sleepy. So I'll try and take this challenge and not backtrack even if I'm hungry, sick or sleepy.
ReplyDeleteI opened the door to let my daughter in off the bus and saw the neighbor's garage door. i reminded myself to not look, and i also didn't ask my daughter if she went outside this morning thru the basement even tho I REALLY WANTED TO KNOW. (that's where all the ocd cooties are hiding from yesterday's garage epidode). so far so good.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see a bunch of challengers!
ReplyDeleteAnn, I've avoided "signing up" for the challenge because I couldn't think of a compulsion that, a) was not so difficult that I knew I'd need a lot of personal work on, or b) one that would be easy for me to monitor.
ReplyDeleteSelf-monitoring is so hard for me in things like this. I am so scrupulous about it that I obsess over whether or not I'm being honest in my monitoring.
Oh, this OCD. It gets in the way of a challenge that could help me!
So, I will, over the next 30 days, NOT check the light in the bedroom closet before I go to bed or leave the house to make sure it's off, even when I know I didn't turn it on in the first place.
It's a small thing, but I like the idea of focusing on it. Thank you for challenging us to challenge ourselves!