Do you get this itch every few months to trash or donate some of the stuff you have? You know what I mean, you take a look at the different rooms in your house and realize that over half of the stuff you have, you could be without. You have all sorts of unused toys, mismatched pieces of Tupperware, clothes that you haven’t used in a while and all sorts of devices and gadgets that don’t even work anymore.
This is the same feeling that I get when at the end of the day I see all my children’s toys lying around everywhere. And it doesn’t matter if I think I have put them all away, there are always a few of them lying around that I can’t seem to get rid of. The problem is that I am not talking about a lot of toys, either. Just a few of them over a clean floor is enough to make me feel uneasy.
At times, my kids do straighten up and do pick up their things. It is on the days they don’t, that I feel I am going a little crazy. The toys somehow find their way to their baskets and that makes me catch my breath. But it is thanks to me knowing where my kids leave them instead of putting them in their rightful place. These temporary places that they seem to find, only seem to make me more nervous.
But having that itchiness to clean is not only something I have among other things like making my kids’ lunches, taking the car to be serviced, or making my next doctor’s appointment. This is something that requires all my energy and concentration. It’s as if my life depended on it. It’s like feeling the entire world is in chaos and the only thing that can put some sense on it, is cleaning up my house.
I know, this anxiety disorder that I have makes me see the world through a completely different glass than the rest of the people. I think that everything’s going to fall apart in my life if my house is not Spic-and-Span clean. Some people think I am crazy because I give so much importance to cleanliness, often over things that I had planned, special occasions and personal engagements.
But why is it that I really feel this way or better yet, how can I understand it better, so I can have a more relaxed life? Check out the video to find out!