It’s hard being comfortable leaving the house in the morning when you have mild to severe OCD.
This disorder manifests itself completely differently for one person versus another, and even a single person’s symptoms can vary from one day to the next.
Mine manifest when I fear I’m leaving the house with fire hazards of any kind. That’s why I unplug appliances and electronics from the walls inside, giving me a tiny bit of peace of mind regarding my fears of a house fire. Others would balk at my behavior, but why if it doesn’t bother them? Clearly my obsessive rituals only affect myself, and if they ever affected my family I would get immediate help. But I know that there are plenty of people out there like me who are functioning perfectly fine with just a few triggers that are easy enough to handle without pharmaceutical intervention. One improvement I made that has given me more peace of mind is adding a smart thermostat to my central HVAC system. No longer do I have to worry if I remembered to change the setting on my thermostat before leaving the house for work. I like to keep it fairly cold while I sleep, but I don’t want it cycling non-stop while I’m at work when outdoor temperatures naturally rise. If I forget, I can easily make an adjustment with the phone application that controls the smart thermostat remotely. And if it’s cold outside and I want to engage the furnace before leaving work for the evening, I can do that as well. I’m just scratching the surface of the features and capabilities of my brand new smart thermostat.