Everyone has their own little things that they’re OCD about. People who are “type A” tend to have a few more than most. Here are a few of my OCDs with my “common sense” reasons:
1. All DVDs and CDs have to be facing up – This is something I’ve done for years. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a disc sleeve or the case it came with – they face up. I can tell if I put the disc back in its case simply by looking to see if it’s facing up. My reasoning? It’s easy to immediately see what disc you’re looking at. I also have all of my DVDs in order of genre, and yes, I put a movie back if it’s not in its proper place.
2. Dishes should be in their rightful place – I love my roommates, but I find dishes in random spots around our kitchen, or worse, right next to where they should go, and it drives me nuts. I’ll admit, this is an OCD of mine and I feel a little bad for my roommates for having to deal with me for it. But to me, it’s like why wouldn’t you put it back where it should go so it’s always there when you need it (unless it’s dirty, and then you know it’s dirty)? I’ve considered making myself the only person to put dishes away (seriously) but I always realize that I’m freaking out about nothing before I do.
3. Books I own have to be in the same format – I was talking with Kate about this and thankfully, someone else out there agrees. If I’m going to own a series, they are all going to be in the same format (hardcover, trade paperback, or mass market paperback). For example, I have waited for over a year to buy the final book in the Millenium trilogy because I have the first two books in trade paperback and therefore, the last book needs to be in trade paperback. I prefer reading trade paperback, but I prefer buying the series I’m devoted to in hardcover. Here is an example of my extreme feelings about this: I decided to buy the Twilight series. I got the second book in trade paperback, then was given the third book in hardcover. I eventually got the first and fourth in hardcover, so I had a complete series, right? Wrong. I sold the second trade paperback version and bought a hardcover version. I admit, there is no common sense reason for this – it’s just weird.
4. Everything in my closet has a specific order – In case you haven’t given up on me yet, here’s another weird OCD habit of mine. My closet is highly organized by style and color. My dresses and suit jackets are in one area, my casual shirts are next to my dress shirts, and my jeans and work pants are in the same area. Beyond that, my clothes are arranged according to color within these regions. My boyfriend thinks it’s ludicrous, I think it’s incredibly efficient. I always know where every item of clothing is.
5. I recycle everything – I’m a crazy recycler. I recycle everything I can and a little of what I can’t. It honestly really irritates me when people don’t bother recycling when they easily could. It actually makes me angry. It takes so little work to recycle. If I have a can of soda out somewhere and there’s not a recycling bin around, you bet your buttered biscuit that I will bring it home to recycle it. I will pick something out of the trash (if it’s on top and not gross) to recycle it. This stems more from overall guilt of killing the environment than anything. It feels good to know that I’m doing my part to help conserve resources. I’m an extreme case, but it takes so little to recycle.
What are your obsessive tendencies?
*Note in reply to comments: I know I don’t have OCD or even really OCD tendencies. I just really like being organized. 🙂
139 comments
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March 31, 2011 at 9:51 am
Sarah
I think we should be best friends! I’m the same way. All the hangs have to be facing the same way, with the clothes by what they are. All the dvd’s have to be by genre. It drives my mom crazy
March 31, 2011 at 10:08 am
ohsaycanyousay
Haha good! I’m not the only one!
March 31, 2011 at 7:43 pm
Kestrel P.
Bad idea honey.
April 1, 2011 at 8:46 am
Mikalee Byerman
You guys are cracking me up … I had no idea I have such kindred spirits. I even wrote an entire blog post about my organizational skills — but they mostly come out when I’m suffering writer’s block!
http://mikaleebyerman.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/the-case-of-boyfriend-brett-and-the-missing-mojo/
I seriously organize my camisoles in ROY G BIV order. And there’s a pic to prove it!
So nice to know we’re not alone…
🙂
March 31, 2011 at 10:26 am
Mom
Dang, now I have to fess up. Your OCD about dishes came from me. Anything in storage (closet, cupboard, etc) has to be neat and organized, so you can tell right away what you have to choose from. The outer part of my house can be (and has been) a disaster area, but my cupboards are clean and organized. Nan does the same thing… puts dishes away but puts them on top instead of stacking properly.
Now as for the books, it actually makes sense. If you have a collection of books, chances are they will be on a bookshelf, right? Well if you would like your collection to look like a collection and not a library, you will want the collection to all look alike. I would prefer to see 4 books that look alike than 4 that are all different.
Closets? Hmmm, I think that’s my influence again. While you have taken it to a larger extreme, I have dresses in one spot, skirts in one, slacks and jeans in one, and all tops in one. Efficient and not hard to do.
Yeah!!! I am not guilty of the last!
March 31, 2011 at 12:05 pm
theveryhungrybookworm
Okay, I’ve decided we might actually be the same person. I agree 100% with all of those.
Another one of mine is my books on my bookcase have to be in a specific order. I don’t alphabetize or anything, but certain parts of certain shelves are for certain books.
March 31, 2011 at 12:06 pm
ohsaycanyousay
Oh yes, my bookshelf has clear sections, too. 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 2:48 pm
Excessive Excursionist
I’m with you on the CD’s and DVD’s- alphabetically organized too, I might add. Loved the blog!
March 31, 2011 at 2:54 pm
The Mommy
are we related? i have all of those same ocd’s (although i could recycle a little more) my closet is always in the same order no matter where I have lived (my sister tried being sneaky & moved 2 items…noticed right away)…once an item has a home…that is where it goes (unless it is moved to a new home based on use and ease)…love books and want my series in the same format as well. Wish my movies were a little more organised, but since the toddler could start to reach things they were moved out of reach wherever we could find a place.
March 31, 2011 at 2:57 pm
PCC Advantage
I think that you and I would get along juuuust fine. I have a few OCD things that are eerily similar (or exactly the same) as yours.
Confession time: it drives me crazy if cupboard doors are ajar, even if just slightly so. My friends and family often leave them slightly open without saying anything, just to see if I will get up to close them. I end up walking around the kitchen, closing cupboard doors without realising it until I hear them laugh at me. It’s my sub-conscience OCD kicking in… 😉
Fantastic post!
April 1, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Spectra
Is there such a thing as “Opposite-Obsessive/Compulsive disorder”? OOCD? If so, that’s me. I leave most cupboard doors ajar (developed this habit as a teen staying up late to watch Johnny Carson-if my father heard me he came out of bedroom to yell at me). NONE of my dish storage makes sense. My clothes seldom make it to the shelves or closet to be hung. And I have a mouse. Oh, that’s right, I’m AHDH. Or DHAD. Or AADH – can’t remember. And you do not have to require psychiatric meds to be OCD – it is an anxiety disorder and like most things, occurs along a continuum. Some people have lower dopamine than others and it overtakes their life. If you get an edgy feeing( anxiety) when somethings wrong by your standards, cannot controll yourself (compulsion) and must FIX it, that is the OCD rearing up. Takes all kinds to make a world complete!
March 31, 2011 at 2:59 pm
polarbearscooby
1-4 is totally me! I thought I was the only one OCD about having all my books of the same kind, glad to know I’m not alone! I’ve waited months to buy the new Erin Hunter books because I have all the others in pb form.
Also, all hangers should face the same way 😉 Books go in a specific order (that I confess probably only I understand) and DVDs and Video games must be alphabetical…
Great post 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 3:03 pm
cindyagoncillo
I may have you topped in the closet OCD area. Because of the way my closet doors are set up, everything radiates from the center. While it’s cold, I have casual long-sleeve shirts (separated by color) and sweatshirts/blazers/anything that goes on top (also separated by color) on the left. To the right, I have work/dress shirts, dress pants, skirts, and dresses (separated by color). After I do laundry, I put the clean clothes at the back of the correct color section (away from the center of the closet) so that I don’t wear it again right away. When I choose what color I want to wear, I have to select an item from the front (closest to center) of that color section. Come spring time, I hang up my t-shirts where the sweatshirts are – arranged by color, of course!
March 31, 2011 at 3:07 pm
mountfordestate
Oh I so agree with you! My wardrobe is carefully organised according to colour and then within each colour it is organised according to what the piece is eg: pink dresses, then pink skirts, then no sleeve tops, short sleeve tops…..
It is not OCD it is common sense!!
March 31, 2011 at 3:07 pm
BREWPRINTS
My closet “OCD thing” is, I have to have all my clothes organized by color, they have to be facing the same direction, and all the hangers have to be the same.
Needless to say, my boyfriend and I have separate closets and I had to learn to control myself when it comes to his clothing area.
March 31, 2011 at 3:14 pm
midnitechef
First, congrats on FP!!!
I’m with you on all your OCD tendencies, save the closet, I’m not at that level, but I do separate the pants/skirts from shirts, tanks, and sweaters – in that order. It’s easy to just walk in and start on the left and turn clockwise adding garments from the floor up. Don’t let any man complain about efficiency in getting yourself ready, they should be thankful you save time in the closet!
Having kids has changed some of my OCDness, you just have to let go of some things or you’ll drive yourself bananas.
I actually started my blog because I would always take pictures of my dishes (either that I’ve cooked or while travelling abroad), I decided I needed a place for them and my foodblog was a natural step.
Have a great day 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 3:23 pm
Debbie Young
My goodness, have you been watching me? All that you say seems entirely rational to me – well said!
March 31, 2011 at 3:32 pm
James R. Clawson
Good for you. I go about six months and then go back to my old habits. On the other hand my wife is more organized than I am. I don’t think that one is born with these attributes. Sometimes it’s just hard to stay focused on being organized when there are so many other things that you can be doing!
March 31, 2011 at 3:43 pm
BrilliantlyTay
Thank God for you!
March 31, 2011 at 3:45 pm
The Simple Life of a Country Man's Wife
Definitely recycling! Even on my most utterly ridiculous lazy days, I cannot throw a can into the garbage. It goes against my nature. Great post!
March 31, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Cindi @ Chiropractic Marketing
Stumbled over here from the fresh pressed page…congrats on that by the way.
Actually I didn’t realize I had those tendencies until I read your blog. Thank you for calling me out on that, my husband might just feel validated now…a little late though, he’s already pulled all of his hair out.
It’s fun to see and recognize our quirks…it just makes us special.
By the way…recycling is good for the soul! keep it up.
March 31, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Viviana Ordonez
Ahahaha! This post made my day.
March 31, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Amy
Well, can’t really complain about #1 xD how else can one keep music and movies in order, right?
My DVD collection is by alphabetical order (original title, including foreign languages). My music is ordered by genre (pop/rock/ost/etc) and # of members LOL – I don’t know why, it just happened like that when I was 14.
And I agree about buying paperback if you’ve already bought paperback. Personally, I prefer hardcover when available.
March 31, 2011 at 4:02 pm
James Lee
My hard drive. I’m OCD about this. What you do with your books and CDs and such, I do with my hard drive. I went digital a while ago, for the most part. Files and directories are all neatly arranged and sorted. Thank goodness I never really got into photography. I hear horror stories about organizing photos.
March 31, 2011 at 4:12 pm
knucklefish
I do a lot of these same things. To add to the “books in the same format” rule, I’m also very picky at the bookstore about which particular copy I buy. I look at the spines to see if they’re wonky or beat-up in anyway. I also check the covers to make sure they’re not scratched or scuffed. Hey, if I’m paying for it, it had better be pristine!
March 31, 2011 at 4:19 pm
studentguru
Apart from the recycling, it’s nice to see someone else who does all of the same things I do.. without believing it’s crazy or irrational! There is a logic to it. :). Though I do have OCD when it comes to eating too..
March 31, 2011 at 4:29 pm
beckyyk
This is great. I need to be more like this in my life. I am kind of the opposite. EEK!
March 31, 2011 at 4:30 pm
findingtampa
I not only store my music CD’s in alphabetical order, I LISTEN to them in alphabetical order. 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 4:33 pm
hawtdog
Number 3 and 4 are essential for me to remain sane 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 4:34 pm
DryvBy
Ha! I’m OCD on all that, and MP3s. Tags have to be in check!
March 31, 2011 at 5:05 pm
sittingpugs
I’m totally with you on the first four points. My recycling habits are sporadic.
March 31, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Laoshi Ma
If you recycle, do you understand that except for rare things like aluminum, you’re doing more damage to the environment via carbon emissions because of energy expended than simply by adding to the landfill?
April 1, 2011 at 9:12 am
Madam Energy
Sure, more CO2 is expelled when recycling goods than when throwing them away, but the materials can be recycled and reused – reducing the environmental impact of using more resources to create new products from scratch.
Reducing CO2 emissions is not the only environmental factor considered when deeming recycling as planet-healthy. Land use, methane (another harmful greenhouse gas) emissions, water table contamination, life cycle costing, etc are all far far lower with recycling than trashing.
April 1, 2011 at 9:13 am
ohsaycanyousay
I’m a big fan of reusing too!
March 31, 2011 at 5:17 pm
My Camera, My Friend
I love organization. Somtimes I have to make myself stop. I’m with you on the closet, mine is very organized as well. I just want to be able to find my stuff quickly.
March 31, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Esko
You would hate me. I take one dvd out of the player, and put it in the case of the next dvd going into the player. My CD’s are in a stack in a box, but that’s because I have digitized all of them and i am rather maticulous with how my digitized things are organized. I should send you a pic of my cork board, you would probably just ask, why, because I often ask myself that very same question.. anyway nice post. Nice to see a little organization…..
March 31, 2011 at 7:58 pm
Fox@n
I do the same thing lol but with games and it gets very confusing .
March 31, 2011 at 5:29 pm
pithypants
Book spines. I like them un-broken. People claim I miss the inner half-inch of all books because I don’t open the pages wide enough. But my books look brand new when I’m done with them. Until someone borrows one. Then it’s all over.
March 31, 2011 at 5:47 pm
crashsuit
Same on the discs here; everyone knows they get scuffed when they’re left out or improperly stored. I also go crazy when my wife leaves stuff out on the counter.
March 31, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Pi.
Congratulations on being Freshly Pressed! You’re post is clear rational behaviour, we all have quirks. 🙂
I have a few odd OC’s of my own:
Books; they must not be the movie cover versions! I like keeping my movies and book separate… is that weird? It’s going to be hard to buy the Tomorrow When The War Began series (Australian teen novel, greatest series on earth) after they made the first book into a movie.
I also have a problem with anything but one dish cloth being near the sink… no scourers or brushes or gloves; they live in the cupboard below the sink.
And… the kettle has to be unplugged after use and one of the four coasters for the coffee table near each corner of the table. My rationale for that? ‘Easy access no matter where you are!’ Oh please, that one is ridiculous even I know that! 😛
March 31, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Nathan Rodehaver
Completely common sense; you’re sane and very funny. I run the continuum between efficiently organized and inoperably disorganized (since I have my moments like everyone else). Each one of your systems seems pretty non-OCD to me.
Functional is functional and you have to live in your own space. I’ve heard people arrange non-fiction by color of book because they’re more visually based. I arrange mine by those to which I most often refer. Work your system if it works for you.
Congratulations on Freshly Pressed.
March 31, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Cross Country Couple
To know I’m not the only one and to know someone else sees the reasoning behind it… What a relief!
My closet is similarly arranged – t-shirt, long sleeves, by color, etc. I also prefer the dishes (and food!) get put away in an organized manner. The boxes of pasta all go together in line with the other boxes, bagged products together, like glasses and mugs together.
Keep up the good work – organized habits (OCD tendencies) can be a good thing, right?
March 31, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Skye
LOL! I know exactly how you feel 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 6:25 pm
J Roycroft
Ok so I couldn’t help but notice you are a Twilight fan. So is my wife, “Team Edward” and of course she has been to all the conventions, met all the vampires and such. Also has OCD. Go figure.
Congrats on FP.
March 31, 2011 at 6:29 pm
zanyzigzag
I too have OCD-like tendencies, but they are slightly different to yours 🙂 One example is clothes pegs. When hanging out the washing on the line, the colour of the clothes pegs has to match (as closely as possible) the colour of the clothing item currently being hung! 😉
March 31, 2011 at 7:20 pm
MCG ESQ
You’re making me wish I was OCD…my closet and desk would be so much cleaner!
March 31, 2011 at 7:25 pm
Poo... ker Face
I envy your organizational skills. I’m so messy sometimes, it makes me mad. But my laziness overrules neatness.
I have very minor things like the toilet lid MUST be down before the toilet is flushed; I don’t keep my toothbrush in the bathroom because I know I’m the only one who does that. However, I do use public washrooms and all. I also don’t use the towels in my bathroom but rather one that I keep in my room or take with me to the bathroom. Toilets are just gross, that’s all!
And the way that my stairway/hallway light electricity is set up is weird. Sometimes when one light switch is down, the other is up even though the light is off. If this happens I have to go up or down the stairs to change whichever switch necessary so that if the light is off, the switches are both down.
I think that’s pretty much it 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Alaina
Every once in a while, I breath a little breath of thanks that I am not like you or most of these commenters! It must be so hard to live if you’re always worried about putting CDs the right side up, putting dishes back in the exact same place, or having strict closet rules. I have loved (and pitied) people who are slaves to things like this. It’s not common sense, as some claim.
My bookshelf? crammed with every edition possible, from the crumbly old Shakespeare my mom got at a yard sale to mass-market Stephen king to hardback Harry Potter. How sad to deny yourself a book because it’s not the “right” edition!
At least that’s my opinion. I’m sure I have enough worrisome quirks of my own. Actually I think that’s why I write a blog. Keep it up on yours!
March 31, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Fox@n
Cool maybe mine is hmmmm that I always need my wallet even though i forget it when I’m driving
Great post
March 31, 2011 at 8:05 pm
Abigail
The only thing I agree with you is dishes, but maybe that’s because I’ve had 6 people in my house for so long, you need them all to be in the same place. But DVDs, well, I don’t know own those, but the fact that my side of the closet is a complete and disorganized mess should tell a lot about me.
Now, OCDs in me… Towels should be hung up when they are wet. But that’s about all i can think of.
March 31, 2011 at 8:07 pm
eva626
i think these are pretty normal stuff!!! i mean if your organized and all! great post! i think i have OCD…i always look back to see if i left anything in a public setting area… congrats on fp’ed!
March 31, 2011 at 8:08 pm
nicoleanncarr
I have all of these OCD tendencies plus many more 🙂 I get a lot of grief for the organization of my closet but like you said, I know where every piece of clothing is!!
March 31, 2011 at 8:50 pm
saltybi11
Nothing wrong with OCDedness… I used to keep my CDs in sections for genre and alphabetical. At least untill the media player did it for me!
March 31, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Courtney
So glad I’m not the only one who needs all her books in the same format! I’m the same about DVDs and closet space, too. =)
March 31, 2011 at 9:06 pm
ohsaycanyousay
I can’t believe there are so many people who agree with me! Great to see! 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 9:56 pm
findinggaby
Not so sure if its ODC or just damn fine organizational skills!
I do the exact same things for everything you listed and have similar stories of returning books and movies just so the collection is complete…correctly!
Good luck with keeping things the way you want them!!
March 31, 2011 at 9:59 pm
Jess
It’s funny to see your post the same day I contemplated buying the book “Too Perfect: When Being in Control Gets Out of Control”. Coincidence? Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
March 31, 2011 at 10:00 pm
The Sycamore
I have been working on a post very similar to this and find that your every item except the one about CDs/DVDs (only because I don’t buy them anymore) is exactly like me.
One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is when people don’t just walk the extra 50 yards to the recycle bin to toss their recycling in it. I just think it is pure laziness and complete disregard for our environment. To make up for their irresponsibleness, (is that a word?) I recycle OBSESSIVELY!
(although, sometimes my husband makes me toss our newspapers into the trash just to keep me in check. Those are had days.)
March 31, 2011 at 10:01 pm
The Sycamore
Oh, and nice blog layout. We have similar taste. 🙂
March 31, 2011 at 10:15 pm
tiffersm
Wow, never thought of some of these things as being OCD before… like you said, just seems like common sense. I HATE when other people put dishes away because they don’t put anything in the right place. I’m not sure why anyone would EVER put away a dvd or cd facing down. My closet isn’t quite as sorted as yours, but I do have all dresses, pants, capris, short sleeve shirts and then long sleeve shirts sorted. I’m also really picky about the way the dishwasher is loaded. I tend to rearrange it after my husband puts things in there. I can’t really think of anything else right now… but then again, all these things seem like common sense to me too, so I’m sure there are plenty of OCD things I do without realizing it!
March 31, 2011 at 10:24 pm
tiffersm
Also, now that my trash provider offers free recycling of practically everything, i’m pretty obsessed with recycling. I hung a list of the recycling bin of what is to be recycled and have to yell at the husband regularly for throwing things away!
March 31, 2011 at 10:28 pm
fox loves angel
I really agree with you.I can’t bear that things are in a mass.Maybe I am a little OCD. hahaha
March 31, 2011 at 10:33 pm
rtcrita
I like my nail polish all grouped by color and tones. That way, if I want “red,” I can match the exact shade of red with what I’m wearing and not clash tones. I do eye-shadow and lip colors the same way. Jewelry has to be organized by type; large dangle earrings from small dangle, beaded bracelets seperate from silver chain, dainty necklaces from bulky, etc.
Best of all is my sewing threads! I have three seperate boxes: one for black, browns and whites; one for all other colors; and one for bobbins, which is futher seperated by colors and tones in individual containers of 12 bobbins each. Embroidery threads, the same–further seperated by finish (shinny vs. matte).
But, that’s not obsessive…! That’s common sense and very normal!
March 31, 2011 at 10:34 pm
merediiith
i have to eat small items (like oreos!) in odd numbers. 1, 3, or 5… but i like to have the volume on my radio set to an interval of 10. does this make me neurotic? 😀
April 1, 2011 at 9:38 am
aunaqui
hahaha LOVED this.. I’m the same way! Only my intervals are either 2 (small, moderate amount), seven, or nine. 🙂 Weird right?
March 31, 2011 at 10:37 pm
sunnyandfine
I actually do all of these, but have never considered myself OCD… maybe I should be? But my DVDs are in genre, then in colour. Well mostly, my kids movies are seperate from more adulty movies… well really i have one shelf dedicated to disney in a rainbow colour and all the other movies are on the shelf below in colour order. My BF won’t let me alphabetise it. 😐 .. it wouldn’t look as pretty anyway.
March 31, 2011 at 10:38 pm
capnstephel
Hehe! I have my moments as well. I agree that cds and dvds must be face up. That’s just common sense. I’m now the same way as you with my books (and I got it from one of my friends). I need to get new (to me) versions of Once and Future King and A Short History of Nearly Everything because they’re both in hardcover and everything else is in paperback. And it took me a few months before I found an older edition of Redwall to match my editions of Mossflower and Mattimeo. Closet…well, to some extent. Short sleeves are all together and next to long sleeves, shorts by the short sleeves, pants by the long sleeves, nicer stuff is grouped together…
I like to recycle whenever possible, but I’m not as bad as you. 🙂
And then there are dishes. I wash them by hand and group forks, knives, spoons, and utensils in their own compartments to dry. If there’s one fork, it usually goes with the knives since they’re all pointy. That might be it. For now. Good post!
http://tehcatspajamas.wordpress.com/
March 31, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Jackson Rodgers
Books in a bookshelf have to be arranged in order from tallest to smallest, left to right.
March 31, 2011 at 11:36 pm
YouGetWellSoon
Very cute! And I even agree with most of them – especially the recycling.
I myself am a bit obsessive about ‘green’ choices. Particularly the ones that aren’t. Cotton requires twice as much water to grow as flax (for linen) but cotton clothes/ bags are green. Hemp needs about a third of that of flax – but that’s not the green the gov’t wants out there.
Or electric cars. They’re great if your electricity source is better than the gas that would have fueled the car. If it’s coal – then go with the gas car.
Stuff like that.
Thanks for posting – and asking.
March 31, 2011 at 11:41 pm
Leah
OMGOSH – I loved this. I definitely have over-compulsive tendencies. I’m a psychology student… and when I was learning about the DSM-IV-TR I made sure to pay extra close attention to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder lol. I am the same way about books as you, except I also always alphabetize my book shelf. It’s a must.
March 31, 2011 at 11:49 pm
babygirlnb32
I have an OCD thing where I braid my hair in tiny little braids, all over my head. Then i undo them all and start over. I cant stop once i start braiding and its really annoying!
March 31, 2011 at 11:54 pm
notesfromrumbleycottage
I need your closet so I can be OCD about my clothes. And I am with you on the dish storage thing. I swear my husband mixes everything up just to get me going. Do I sound like I might need meds?
April 1, 2011 at 12:07 am
littlelamblx
love it!!! 😀 made me giggle… im ocd about hung paintings and picture frames being on the same level at the top and the same distance from the ceiling, unless they are purposely made to look like clutter…
April 1, 2011 at 12:15 am
Nerd Odyssey
I organize my media alphabetically and by format. How else can one find a movie or television show with speed and deftness?
April 1, 2011 at 12:28 am
Bodystockings
Oh…I agree with you. Thanks for sharing it here. Keep it up!
April 1, 2011 at 1:06 am
corzgalore
Wow, I have to have all my hangers in the same order and my CDs too.
April 1, 2011 at 1:23 am
Jack
Want to know what mine is? People misusing “OCD”. You can’t “have an OCD” about something or “be OCD” about something. It’s a disorder. (And a serious one, at that… labeling your slightly unusual yet logical behaviors as obsessive-compulsive is extremely insensitive toward the people who have irresistible, illogical behaviors – for example, washing hands in near-boiling water and scrubbing them raw, etc.)
You might – MIGHT – have OCPD, but these habits of yours are not invasive, not harmful, not illogical, not irresistible, etc. You’ll manage.
/rant
April 1, 2011 at 1:59 am
I Made You A Mixtape
Well, I quite clearly do not have OCD….lol…. visiting my house might lead to a small nervous breakdown for you….however, I do agree on recylcing with you… I religiously sort and recycle all my trash every week….
April 1, 2011 at 2:04 am
shaolin2000
I think it’s a little less OCD and a little more OCPD..
I wrote a simular post: http://shaolin2000.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/i-dont-have-o-c-d/
And while doing so found that I didn’t have OCD so much but more OCPD, I think you can explain your reasons for being a little crazy. I think it’s a whole different level of weird when people ask you why have you just boiled the kettle 14 times and you have no answer for it 🙂
April 1, 2011 at 2:17 am
mrthekidd
Congrats on FP’d – excellent post!
I think you’re perfectly normal and believe that such efficiency is a sign of genius. I try, oh how I try, but my 3 & 5 year old’s constantly undo my efforts. At least they can’t get at my iPod…
April 1, 2011 at 2:28 am
richannkur
Very good article… Congrats on being freshly pressed.
April 1, 2011 at 2:40 am
Kate's Bookshelf
Wow, I love your OCD-ness!! I don’t usually do the whole recycle thing, but just about everything else is like that. Definitely with books, though I go one step further and I want everything organized by author and dewey decimal system. And I prefer my music to be by artist, then album title.
Bumped across thos post in the Post a Week page…. Congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
April 1, 2011 at 4:21 am
williamw60640
Thanks. Your OCD behavior is just your way of controlling parts of your world within your capabilities to manipulate. Seems realistic to me. There are certainly much worse ways to cope. Keep on doing what works for you. When we embrace our ‘quirks,’ we work with and not against ourselves.
April 1, 2011 at 4:21 am
jollof
Very good post and one that I’ll delve into soon. Let’s see. The OCDs I remember are:
– Walking within the tile on checkered floors (e.g. step on only white tiles)
– If I see a glass at the edge of a table I get hot and bothered (I’ll move it closer to the centre)
– Whenever I want to study (and I’m usually reluctant) it must be on the hour (i.e. if its 4.15pm I aint reading till 5pm)
Crazy…I know.
April 1, 2011 at 5:00 am
knotrune
I’m not a tidy organised person at all, but I agree with you about recycling. It is irresponsible for anyone not to do that. Also with the CDs/DVDs – who would not put them the right way up? That would just be annoying! The side with the printing on is for the eye to see what it is and the other side needs to be protected from dust and fingermarks. I also find it annoying if my husband takes a DVD I was watching but haven’t yet finished out of the machine to watch one of his own, but then just puts mine down nearby! Does he not know they can get scratched and are then unwatchable? He is not stupid, so why he does this (twice!) is beyond me! If he can’t find the case it came from, at least put it in the case his came out of while he watches his and then swap them back when he’s done. Plus he put a finger mark on it! Grrrr…
So it’s not only OCD types who have foibles they have to have a certain way 😀
April 1, 2011 at 5:03 am
ramshaali286
There’s nothing wrong with this OCD. I have the same one with my closet. Everything has to be organized and all the hangers have to face the same way.
Yea, we’re all pretty normal :p
April 1, 2011 at 5:50 am
Yami
I completely agree. I insist on doing the dishes because my stacking method ensures that there are no water pockets and no need to towel dry. I started reading Harry Potter in the US and finished in the UK, needless to say, my collection may never be complete. They only thing I find sacrilegious is putting Harry next to Twilight (not that I haven’t read Twilight, I just won’t let anyone who knows me well enough to view my bookshelf to know that) My OCD bows to my shallowness.
April 1, 2011 at 6:17 am
Hala J.
Oh wow, I swear you and I must be kindred spirits or something. There’s nothing you mentioned that I don’t do as well in one form or another. I’d love if the series of books I have were in the same format but unfortunately it’s not always the case. My Harry Potter books, for example, I have two in paperback (the first and second one) but the rest are all hardcover. If I can get them all the same I would. CD’s also have to be face up, with the title straight, and if they’re in their cases stacked, they have to be stacked on top of one another exactly, no crookedness allowed. It goes on. Nice post! And congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
April 1, 2011 at 6:36 am
Neha
WHO the heck says OCD is bad! Love the 5th point 🙂
April 1, 2011 at 7:01 am
leadinglight
You sound like my mum. I’m the opposite. My only OCD tendency is to take the same route when I drive each time.
April 1, 2011 at 7:28 am
Sick
1, 3, and 4, should be common sense. I’d agree with two, but I’ve got a habit of leaving them in the drying rack that occupies my second sink and just pulling them from there.
I’m actually for recycling but I’m intensely lazy. There’s no “recycle men” who come around and pick up trash from bangs in front of my house so all of the burden of getting it to a recycling center fall on me, which means it’s never going to happen 😦
April 1, 2011 at 7:52 am
Humble Hedonist
Heheheeee – in most of your examples I’m a bit worse than you! So – enjoy!
April 1, 2011 at 8:08 am
tinkerbelle86
im a crazy recycler too and i hate it when somehting is recyclable and there is no where to recycle it! great post and congrats on being preshly pressed
April 1, 2011 at 8:08 am
Juliana
But are your books also in alphabetical order by author (fiction) or organized by subject (non-fiction)?
It’s been bugging me for years that my Harry Potter series is in multiple formats — the first couple of books were already in paperback when I started reading the series, and of course, once I got started, I had to get all the others the day they came out. Now you’ve inspired me to actually fix this problem!
April 1, 2011 at 9:03 am
ohsaycanyousay
Genre 😉
April 1, 2011 at 8:09 am
Maggie
My CDs and books are all alphabetized. If someone borrows a book or CD and doesn’t put it back in the right place, I get irrationally irritated.
Glad to see that others have these OCD tendencies as well. 🙂
April 1, 2011 at 8:13 am
bittenkittenx
Oh god, I’m the same way. I have to have EVERYTHING in order, even the smallest things! My medication I take (I’m bipolar) has to be taken in a specific order, with the pills in a certain direction… I have to have the bed made a certain way, with my comforter at a certain height… Clothes have to be put in the closet a certain way, and the cats have to be fed a certain amount. God forbid my food touches…
April 1, 2011 at 8:17 am
Katie Gou
I don’t think that you’re weird or crazy, I think we all have our own little notions. I like when watching TV, to have all of the remotes neatly set out and in the same direction. I do everything in fives, like a 5 page google search or eating 5 nuts. I hate it when people leave plugs switched on with nothing in them. I admit, I could do more on the recycling front. You’re not cookie, you’re you, be proud of it :)!
April 1, 2011 at 8:24 am
Angus Lewis
My wife keeps her spices in alphabetical order.
April 1, 2011 at 9:03 am
PD Singer
We’d make great roommates, as long as you stayed out of my closet.
April 1, 2011 at 9:13 am
B.C. Young
Whether we admit it or not, we all are OCD about something. I’m OCD about commenting on Freshly Pressed posts on WordPress. LOL
April 1, 2011 at 9:18 am
Madam Energy
I am not a naturally organized person – I have to force myself to do it in most cases. But my OCD quirks all seem to be oriented with my desk/office. Pencils and pens cannot be in the same compartment with one another, stapled papers must have the staple at 45 degrees and equidistant from each edge (and papers must be perfectly straight), I have to use a specific brand/model of red pen for work stuff, and I cannot use the large paper clips.
April 1, 2011 at 9:23 am
aunaqui
I actually prefer large paper clips..
April 1, 2011 at 9:22 am
aunaqui
I’ve always been very OCD — in varying degrees, in different ways — but nevertheless, the condition/ weirdness/ curse has ALWAYS been present. I appreciated how simple and relevant this post was!
My OLD OCD ways: cleaning the house, spotless, as a 10-11 year old. I wouldn’t even go to my GRANDMOTHER’S house for visits because I was afraid that “mom would mess the house up while I was gone.” Yeah.. it was bad, it sorely interfered with my childhood and damaged my easy-going make-up (kidding). When I did “chance” going to Gram’s I would have a certain amount of fixed times (in my head) that I had to swim around the pool.. a certain amount of seconds I HAD to hold my breath underwater.. etc, etc. It was overpowering.
My NEW OCD ways: simply, eating pizza with mashed potatoes and lettuce atleast once weekly. Also, showering daily, making sure the stove-burners and other fire hazards are effectively turned off before leaving the house, and making the bed every single morning.
Aun Aqui
April 1, 2011 at 9:23 am
Margaret
I am so with you on a number of these! It’s just practical! My problem is that I’ve never lived with anyone else (well, maybe my mother) who saw the point. Here’s a post I wrote about trying (unsuccessfully) to keep hangers all pointed in the same direction:
April 1, 2011 at 9:24 am
bandsmoke
1 and 2 – agreed, 3 and 4 – a little weird 😉 Great post though and congrats on FP!
April 1, 2011 at 9:28 am
Matt
Breathed a sigh of relief when I saw yr. disclaimer at the end. All of the stuff that yr. OCD about, I’m OCD about too. YAY!
April 1, 2011 at 9:39 am
twasntme!
“Hi, I’m me, and I’m an OCDholic.” We should congregate.
April 1, 2011 at 9:47 am
emjayandthem
Of course CDs are to be facing up! My other compulsion? Silverware stacked neatly on each other vs. a humble jumble pile. Interesting, fun post 🙂 Cheers MJ
April 1, 2011 at 9:54 am
b
It’s just little things for me, like my shampoo and conditioner need to be in the right order in the shower, or the forks need to be facing the same way in the silverware drawer…
April 1, 2011 at 10:11 am
singlegirlramblings
1 -4 is me completely. I also line my nail polish up from lights shade to the darkest.
April 1, 2011 at 10:26 am
Fayth Night
I’m pretty sure that I could use a lesson or six from you… I constantly lose clothes because my closet has absolutely no order, I just shove stuff in there. I don’t even bother trying to have DVDs. I basically have a library, it might give you a heart attack, some of my series have the same format, but others are a mix. I’m not so great with dishes either, I just have a random assortment of plates and bowls and silverware. They all have their place though.
April 1, 2011 at 10:32 am
samuraiboy
firstly, AwEsOmE Post, and secondly…i now don’t feel so crazy like i did before about it!
Agree with 1-4 and then my 5th would be re-parking the car if I didn’t park it straight the first time…
Lol…I know it’s wierd…hehe!
April 1, 2011 at 10:46 am
wentling
I love your book collection! I had to buy all my Harry Potter books in hardback too!
April 1, 2011 at 10:56 am
madonnaearth
I’m so glad you said that about books having to be in the same format. Not because I’m like that, but it explains people who are requesting that a free book they want be a hardcover, or a fifth edition or whatever. I’m like, if you’re just wanting to read it, why does it have to be that way? If you need it that way, why aren’t you buying it exactly that way?
Having you say this and explain it the way you did gets me off that particular whiny ledge. Because I then have to ask myself what difference does it make if they want it this way or that way? Also, It’s not even my business, so why do I care? And then I tell myself to shut up. I tell myself to shut up a lot. lol
April 1, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Mimi
Great post! If my CDs are not facing up, I will not rest until I personally fix them. In the shower caddy, shampoo on the left, conditioner on the right. So many more, wow! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
April 1, 2011 at 1:12 pm
jule1
All my bills have to be facing me (in the wallet), and not upside down. If I put them back hurriedly (after being given change) and they are the “wrong” way, I “fix” them later. Also, biggest bills in back, and ones in front, with all like bills being together (and in order, i.e., 20’s, 10’s, 5’s, 1’s). This way it’s very easy to see how much money I have. I’m not super OCD about a lot of stuff, but this is one of them.
I agree about dishes, by the way. My husband does what your roommates do. Drives me crazy.
And my clothes, while not as organized as yours, are organized by coats/jackets/pants/shirts/suits/dresses (etc.), and by color order (red/orange/yellow/green/blue/purple). So much easier to find every item if there is a system, I fully agree!
My books have some order, but not as tight as yours. And I think you are kinda OCD about recycling, but so what? At least you are doing something good for the environment.
April 1, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Melinda Anderson
I don’t think you’re OCD at all – you’re organized! Organized is easier…really.
April 1, 2011 at 1:25 pm
quirkyculture
You need to rent the movie, The Accidental Tourist. There is a system to organizing your canned goods. Of course, you probably already knew that. Congrats on being FP!
April 1, 2011 at 2:13 pm
dude34250
that seems to be a lot of time wasted although it is a good article and I firmly believe everyone should recycle
April 1, 2011 at 2:16 pm
eron
There is nothing strange about these things, this is all perfectly normal. It is people who don’t do things that have the problem! I used to not worry about the order of my CDs, but only because I liked searching through them to find what I was looking for. If I found something else first, I was happy, as I probably had not listened to that for a while. Now that I have converted them to mp3, they are all packed away in boxes, anyway.
One other thing that bothers me, not having keyed in proper punctuation, or grammar. It really bothers me when when I see these errors in publications. It amkes me want to go fire editors, and take over their jobs. Texting is difficult for this reason.
April 1, 2011 at 3:06 pm
LannieSeanPatel
i’m with you on the recyling part…I will pick it out of the trash as long as there isn’t an goop on it…hey…we’ re doing our part!
April 1, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Spinny Liberal
Loved this post. In my car, the radio presets have to be in ascending numerical order (stations)
Preset 1 – KCBS (740)
Preset 2 – KGO (810)
Preset 3 – KLIV (1590)
etc.
Sometimes, I even change presets in other people’s cars too. Shhh.
Congratulations on being FP!
April 1, 2011 at 10:35 pm
Moments of Weird Organization | Kate's Bookshelf
[…] Truth Thursday: Things I’m OCD about (but consider to be common sense) (ohsaycanyousay.wordpress.com) […]
April 2, 2011 at 8:01 pm
fireinstructor
I’m the same way with CD’s/DVD’s and dishes. Organization counts.
April 3, 2011 at 7:02 am
Xhisoka
WOW!!! I envy you being so OCD on those stuffs. We some kinda have similarities (though I must admit, yours is on the near-extreme case). Stuffs in my closet are arranged in related hues. Light blues to dark blues, and from the black to gray then to white.Oh, It is actually my “hobby” arranging things at home. I have spent many hours just arranging things at my room during my vacant days.
The dish thing…well, it’s ,my mom’s mandate. Can’t help but arrange’em them properly.
Try watching the movie Elektra and see she arranged those grocery stuffs at kitchen.
April 3, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Lisa
YES! Nice to see so many kindred spirits come out of the (totally organized) closet! Love to you all!
April 3, 2011 at 4:27 pm
TheAuthor
Great post. I confess I am also OCD at a minor level, it drives my girlfriend nuts because she is quite messy at times. Although, I don’t think I am as ‘hardcore’ as yourself.
Sharp knives can’t go in the sink to be washed up before the water goes in, I fear I may cut myself. It just makes sense, it is sharp and you can’t see it.
If you knock something over, off the top, or get things out of where it lives, put it back. I find myself frequently becoming irritated because this happens. I just have to put it back.
I also fold all clothing I own or hang it up, besides underwear and socks. Keeps it neat. Everything has its own place.
April 3, 2011 at 8:11 pm
zenmamajo
i sooo use to be an extreme ocd suffer…then i had kids…and i either had to change or go mad *hahah* now i’m okay if things are in there ‘general’ place and not cluttered…i have organized the kids toys in bins and expect them to replace them in their designated bins rather than chuck everything into one pile…oh! i know one area i’m still ocd! the diaper bag! i have things neatly folded and in zip lock bags (diapers/wipes one bag, burb rags/bibs in another, etc)…definitely feel myself breaking down if that thing isn’t orderly – saves me so much time *hahah*
April 3, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Snow White
Wow, people are saying you’re on the extreme side then what would they think about me! lol, after seeing this post I realised how OCD I am about a LOT of stuff, so I posted a response on my blog 😀
April 4, 2011 at 9:07 am
Chris Dodds
Order without, order within. It’s a good way to live. I generally treat CDs and DVDs in the opposite – if they are sitting on my desk, the data side is up. I hate scratched CDs more than I hate having to pick them up to figure out what the label says.
April 4, 2011 at 9:17 am
ohsaycanyousay
I agree – I hate when CDs/DVDs are facing down if they’re out of the case.
April 4, 2011 at 1:39 pm
xoerikae
I feel better about myself now, lol.
I also feel better than I’m not the only HP fan that also has the Twilight books…
April 6, 2011 at 10:04 pm
อุปกรณ์สำนักงาน, เครื่องใช้สำนักงาน
It’s just little things for me, like my shampoo and conditioner need to be in the right order in the shower, or the forks need to be facing the same way in the silverware drawer…
April 7, 2011 at 1:49 pm
vustudents
lol !!!!!! this post ?;)
April 12, 2011 at 2:36 am
ดูดไขมัน, Fraxel ,lvaser
Thank God for you!
April 12, 2011 at 8:21 am
TV Tuesday: Control freaks « Oh, Say Can You Say?
[…] freak, but I’m not the only one (as can be seen by the comment wave on my Freshly Pressed OCD post). Besides, these TV characters have way more control issues than I do – and believe me, they […]
October 13, 2011 at 11:51 am
Pinoy Video
hey everyone, im afraid of hiv all the time, sometimes i feel better until i see a stain in my clothes, it could be a stain of coke of food or anything but i start to think it could be blood or seme….oh please its horrible, i just want to be happy again and my intrusive thoughts are going me crazy…
i just want to be normal again, my life is beautiful but this ocd doesn’t allow me to enjoy my beautiful life, i want to be out of this complete shitt
sorry for my english, im not a native speaker 😦
October 13, 2011 at 12:11 pm
ohsaycanyousay
Pinoy – You should not have to feel that way!! Have you tried speaking with a professional about it? I know therapy has a stigma in the community but I’ve found it to be incredibly helpful. This kind of thing is really quite common and is treatable. I would urge you to try talking with a counselor about it if you can! I hope things get better. 🙂