It's never too late to change direction away from OCD / Covid19 thoughts

[Ashley]

 

So yesterday morning I woke up feeling a little sweaty and cold, and having spent the last few weeks hearing all about a high fever being a symptom of COVID19 you can imagine where my thoughts started drifting as I lay there.

As it happens I had left the heating on overnight by mistake, and I don't do a hot bedroom at night, so that somewhat explains it, but my thoughts were only going one place and that led me to go straight to Google to check the symptoms.

I tried reassuring myself that a coronavirus fever is significant and I would know about it, so I forced myself out of bed and into the shower and 20 minutes later I was in the office.

But as the day went on a weird mix of feeling warm and cold and weird throat feeling (like the start of a cold) did nothing to stop my racing thoughts.  

Thankfully I am pretty much able to deal with OCD these days, and whilst my reaction is arguably the same reaction thousands of other people had yesterday, I guess my OCD was trying to take over the directions my thoughts were taking me, but luckily I realised this, that the OCD 'sat nav' was taking me down the wrong direction and so I quickly turned it off and focused on the road signs (the actual symptoms) and quite quickly I was putting the physical symptoms down to overworking, feeling run down and general wear and tear of winter. 

I woke this morning feeling better, so most likely I had one of those 24 hour things that are all the rage at this time of the year.  

Fast forward to this lunchtime and the farmer who rents the fields next to our office drive by and I popped outside to chat to him (across a boundary wall and a good few metres apart). He then started dismantling the temporary fence around the office that keeps the sheep away from my office and without thinking I started helping him and then subsequently I opened and closed the field gate so he could drive back out. Only then did I think, we have crossed touched fence posts and immediately my thoughts were again trying to take me down a route I simply don't need to go. Luckily for me I switched back to 'do what is recommended' and I washed my hands, just for 20 seconds and got on with my day. I started eating my lunch, making sure I put those fingers in my mouth as I ate my very unhealthy bag of crisps.

As my colleague chipped in across messenger "Oh well if you get corona at least you’ll be quiet for a bit"... I needed that sarcasm, because that laughter got me back on track and to writing this post.

I am fortunate, I am in a good place with my OCD and I generally get myself back on track quickly, plus I am surrounded by good people who will ensure they force me back on track if I am taking a wrong OCD turn.

So I guess my message to those of us with OCD (and perhaps without) is the Sat Nav is not always right, we don't have to listen to it, and if we do occasionally let it guide us, we can still change direction. 
 

[Gemma7]

5 minutes ago, Ashley said:

As my colleague chipped in across messenger "Oh well if you get corona at least you’ll be quiet for a bit"... I needed that sarcasm, because that laughter got me back on track and writing this post.

Good to see you've got someone keeping you grounded

Glad you're ok Ashley, well done for ignoring OCD x

[OB1]

Great post Ashley, I think laughter is so important especially now. Does this mean you have sheep in the office now??

[Ashley]

31 minutes ago, OB1 said:

Does this mean you have sheep in the office now??

Lol no.  His farm is other side of Belper.  He always moves sheep to the farm this time if year for lambing and to allow land / grass to recover. We are sleepless now for a few weeks. Which is a pain because when I cut my grass they eat it for me.

[taurean]

Julie and I have up on the side of a cabinet a cutting from a newspaper comparing covid-19 symptoms with colds and flu - and this gives us an anchor to go to if we are feeling a bit rough. I am finding that really helpful. 

What Ashley says  is true of the coronavirus, but the same concept applies across the board.We don't have to listen to OCD and believe what it says - our goal is to be able not to do that: to respond only the same way as non-sufferers.