How can I stop worring about cleanliness and tidiness at home?

Question

I live with other people and I am very exacting.

Answer 1

Don't start thinking: OMG its OCD. For a start - it is very a much a matter of 'degree' i.e. How much does your worrying prevent you from leading your 'normal' life? Lots of people are a bit 'obsessive' about some thing or other without it being illness. You don't say if your worrying actually causes you to clean everything compulsively - an 'Obsession' is a thought, whereas a 'compulsion' is a behaviour (the one leading to the other). Even if you act-out your obsessions (cleaning like crazy) there are other causes - Anxiety being one of the most common. Anxiety is like 'fear' - a natural physical and mental response to a 'threat'. The difference is that you normally know what the object of your fear is - but commonly, not the object (cause) of your anxiety. Our minds do not like having these feelings without also having an explanation as to what is causing them - so, being so wonderfully imaginative - it likes to invent things to explain the feeling. Dirt is an easy target - and its something that we can do something about. Trouble is - whilst doing the compulsion seems to relieve the feeling of stress - it cannot do it for long and the cycle repeats. Ask yourself if this worrying and (perhaps) ritual cleaning is actually getting in the way of having a 'normal' life (I hesitate every time I say 'normal' because we are all too different for there to be such a thing). If not, or only mildly - then just being aware of it can help you to control it. However, if it is of a degree that gets in the way of everything - then maybe you do need some professional help. This would start by approaching your GP or Primary Healthcare Practitioner. Try not to get into the spiral of 'worrying about worrying' - if its a real problem, get some help. If its a little problem - then try to accept that you are a unique person who is just a bit 'quirky' and pity those people who live in self-imposed squalor. Good Luck

Answer 2

If you are worried that your habits may become obsessions then you need to do something before it gets out of hand. Has anyone you know commented about your home? Are you so tidy that it's not a comfortable place to live? Do you live alone? There are so many factors it makes the question difficult to answer. If you are constantly cleaning up fter other people, then that is a whole other thing (they should contribute more) If there are kids, then learn to accept a little bit of chaos. If you live alone, then try to leave one small part just a little bit messy - and try to love it! You are being a rebel!

Answer 3

my sister has the same problem she can be sat there with a glass of wine at night and suddenly she say am go-ing to clean the taps in the bathroom her husband thinks shes off her head he thinks there better things to do .i think she has a problem i told her to get some help she goin to have a breakdown if she doesn't stop it.

Answer 4

What? You could stop cleaning and tidying. Do you have OCD? If you do then take steps to stop being obsessed.

Answer 5

Sounds to me you may have OCD. I have it but its because my mother was very dirty and we had roaches growing up so I have to have my house a certain way.....I know I refuse to take meds for it but again I dont have it so bad I freak over stuff like over washing hands, checking to make sure things are off. I just like my house a certain way and I am very picky....my kids hate it but o well, at least they dont come home to a dirty, nasty home

Answer 6

Just clean. you know where the germs linger. just go for the gusto and if there is some reasons you should not continue you have already hit the high priority spots.