Do you look forward to your holidays? I think most people must but I for one struggle, it’s not that I don’t like spending time with my family, I really do, but there’s an element of having to relinquish control, particularly when you go away with other people and for someone who likes to be in control, it can be tricky.
Having a sense of control and predictableness over my day-to-day environment helps me feel calmer and more regulated and when this is the case my OCD tends to be quieter. Remove some of those safety barriers and my nervous system is less happy and so OCD tends to be a bit stickier. It’s a bit like doing one big compulsion, pushing myself out of my comfort zone for a whole week and even though there will be moments of joy, I know I’ll feel less regulated than normal.
Just by writing those proceeding two paragraphs down, I can see how much of a comfort zone I have created for myself and so I do need to push outside of it more. This week I go away and I have been ignoring the fact for the last few weeks, I haven’t started packing and I am avoiding everything surrounding it.
So, I need to stop writing this post, get my head in gear and go pack. Take a deep breath and try and make the most of what really should be a fun and exciting experience with my family.
Let me know how you feel about holidays, does anyone else struggle with the lack of routine?
Right, I’m off to pack, wish me luck! I’ll report back in a weeks’ time.
In the meantime,
Stay Strong xxx
Conquering OCD 