I used to think I was just being careful. But in reality, I was stuck in a loop, and I didn’t even know it had a name. As a kid, I remember getting really stressed if my books weren’t arranged just right. If one was slightly out of order or tilted at an angle, I couldn’t focus until I fixed it. At the time, I thought it was just a quirky habit. But as I grew older, especially after starting my professional career, it slowly took over my life. I began double- and triple-checking things. Even when I knew something was fine, a thought would pop in: 👉 “What if you missed something?” 👉 “What if this one mistake ruins everything?” I couldn’t let it go. I’d go back, check again, get stuck. The pressure to be perfect, and the fear of failure, took over. I lost time. I lost mental energy. And I genuinely thought I was the only one going through this. Eventually, I Googled my symptoms out of desperation. That’s when I first saw the word: OCD. And for the first time, I realized: I’m not alone. I started reading everything I could: articles, self-help books, and discovered CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). I couldn’t access therapy right away, so I tried applying CBT on my own. And I slowly trained my brain to respond differently. Here's a technique that helped me the most: ✔️ When I felt the urge to check something again, I’d shift to an activity I enjoyed, anything that helped me focus elsewhere. For me, it was a video game. ✔️ I’d do it for just 5 minutes, then check how I felt. ✔️ If the urge was gone, it was a win. If not, it was a loss. I tracked both on a simple chart. ✔️ Every week, I increased the delay time. 5 minutes became 7, then 10. Slowly, I built the ability to sit with the discomfort. Some days were great. Some were really tough. But progress did happen. It wasn’t quick. It wasn’t easy. It took me almost three years to get to a point where I can control the thoughts most of the time. If you’re struggling with similar thoughts or behaviors: You’re not weak. You’re not broken. And you’re definitely not alone. Start small. Track your progress. Be kind to yourself. Even a 5-minute win is a win worth celebrating. #mentalhealth #ocd #cbt #personalgrowth #anxiety