OCD, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, is something we joke about in modern society. We use it as shorthand for being excessively picky about things, for instance, or for being overly bothered. Things like fixing crooked pictures and not letting foods touch on our plates are almost part of our culture now.

But for those of us who either are diagnosed with OCD or are pretty certain we have it, it’s a reality, however strange and funny it may seem to others (and to ourselves). I even have to laugh at myself when I realize how many things in my life are regulated with OCD’s little rules! Such rules make perfect sense to me, so I rarely think about them–that is, until I started brainstorming for this post. 😛

To demonstrate, here’s a few of the standout ways OCD runs my life:

• In the shower, my hair must not touch my shoulders when it is covered in shampoo and I am scrubbing my back with body wash. (Shampoo mixing with body wash? A HUGE no-no, at least in my head!)
• All apps must be force-closed on my iPhone before I charge it.
• Socks must not be put on before pants. (I hate the feeling of fabric dragging against fabric!)
• Posts on Tumblr must be thoroughly tagged with proper subject matter and general category tags. (It also bugs me when I see others’ posts not properly tagged, though I don’t say anything :P)
• Salty and sweet flavors must not mix, either on the plate or in my mouth. (Different sweet flavors may mix with each other, however; same with different salty flavors.)
• Freshly washed and blow-dried hair must not be stuck in a ponytail–it must be left loose.
• All lights and appliances must be off in a room before leaving it, unless I am returning very soon.
• Decks of cards must be shuffled exactly 3 times before playing.
• The gas tank in my car must always be filled to top when refueling.
• When arranging a music playlist, the same artist or same album must not occur back-to-back in the track list.

If you definitely have OCD (or are pretty sure you do), what are some of the weird and funny rules you live by? Tell me in the comments! 😀