Maybe it's okay to wash my hands more often

It's the figuring out whether or not I'm allowed to that creates the frenzied vortex.

Something I talked about trying when I was in Houston the first time: Just go ahead and do it more often and be at peace with doing it.

Versus figuring out whether it's the right answer or not of could I have gotten away with not washing my hands.

Experience sampling - goal for the day? Yes, use tap forms to implement it, talk at phone.

I want to remind myself to do more experience sampling.

I can set doing experience sampling as my goal for the day for one of the days I'm in Houston. Freewrite to carry it out as a concrete goal? Talk at my phone? Yes, using tap forms!!!!

Big picture questions to help with hoarding issues

I have trouble making decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. So, I was really struck by how helpful it could be to ask myself:

Who are you with the object? Who are you if the object is gone?

Those questions came up in a conversation I had with a residential counselor at the Houston OCD Program, and she said she had more of these big picture questions. Getting her list of questions today has got me feeling quite hopeful. I need all the help I can get to support me in being able to make these decisions in a way that I can feel good about myself. These questions look like they'll keep me pointed in the right direction.

1. In making this decision what are your overall goals?

2. What values are you enforcing by discarding this item?  How would you choose to sustain a sense of responsibility for following your primary values?

3. How are others impacted if you keep this?  What other-focused values are you embracing if you let this item go?

4. Visualize how you would like your living space to look like…does this item fit with your image?

5. If there is a sense of loss or discomfort resulting from discarding this item, how will being mindful help?

6. What might you gain from discarding this item?  

7. Does this item change you as a person?

8. When was the last time you used this?

9. Will you remember this or be able to find it?

10. Is keeping this workable?