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Do you tend to sweat the small stuff?

dukebound85

dukebound85

macrumors Core
Original poster
Jul 17, 2005
19,218
4,342
5045 feet above sea level
Really, it is a curse I think. Alot of you probably can relate. Some examples:

1) I hate worrying about aspects of my car, such as did I overtorque my sparkplugs or are the belts tensioned just right, vacuum pressure adequate, etc
2) On my bike, always thinking about chain slack, lubrication, lever play, etc
3) On my computers in regards to machine defects and alignments, etc
4)Hate having to know the details of how something works before I use it and then be very questionable when using it in some cases
5) Hate going to a mechanic when I have to and unable to observe how they fix the issue (I would love to watch and learn for myself)

I miss the days of just accepting that everything works and being content. I wish I would not worry about corrective maintenance and just be happy go lucky in a sense. I freaking tend to stress out over little **** that means nothing during otherwise calm periods in my life(like my spark plugs' torque when my car is running just fine....)

Can anyone relate?
 
I can definitely relate, but in a slightly different way. I used to worry about a lot of things that I could either just get done and forget about, or that I basically had no control over so there was no point in worrying anyway. :p I would wake up in a cold sweat at night and not be able to stop thinking about stuff I needed to do or thought I ought to do. My thoughts went in circles, and I was exhausted when I finally got up in the morning.

It wore me out so much that my mind basically just shut it off in self-defense, I think. It doesn't happen anymore unless something extraordinary is going on, but I can't say why it stopped being a problem - it just did (thank God).

Someone I live with has this sort of problem occasionally, so it would be really good to know if people here have found techniques to deal with it, that I could pass along.
 
People joke about me being an Obsessive Compulsive but that's a recognised psychological condition, I'm just a picky bugger.

It depends how far you go with things. If it's a case of taking pride in your posessions (especially car/bike maintenance) then that's no bad thing. Yes I like things tidy and I get peace of mind from checking my car under the bonnet (hood :)). But if it's getting to the stage where you can't sleep because you're turning things over in your mind then you do need to put it out of your mind.

I plan on getting my own place soon and about 3 months ago I caught myself, at about two in the morning, staring at the bedroom ceiling thinking about how I would set up a home network.

How would everything be wired?
How would I secure it?
Could I use Powerline equipment?
How many ring-main circuits would the house have?
Where would the best place be for the phone line to come in?

And I just had a moment of clarity. I thought 'You've not even FOUND a place yet and you're obsessing. Go to sleep!'

One technique I've found is to allocate a reasonable amount of time to a job and if it isn't finished, then to Hell with it. Say I want to clean my car I'll say- right, no matter what happens I'm doing two hours and that's it. It'll be finished by lunchtime.

Remember- the things you own, end up owning you ;)

I was reading an article about simple living and minimalism. I can't remember where it was, will try and find it on Wiki. You should find the line where you spend more time 'sweating' stuff than you do enjoying it. I found myself spending more time setting up and faffing with my PS3 and surround-sound stuff than I did actually watching movies and listening to tunes.

Draw a line and stick to it :)

EDIT: The whole article isn't completely relevant here, but there you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_living#History

The part I liked is this:

"...Epicurus pointed out that troubles entailed by maintaining an extravagant lifestyle tend to outweigh the pleasure of partaking in it. He therefore concluded that what is necessary for happiness, bodily comfort, and life itself should be maintained at minimal cost, while all things beyond what is necessary for these should either be tempered by moderation or completely avoided"
 
I sweat the small stuff, but not that small. Or if I do, it's only for a short while. Seriously, you might want to see a doctor about some of that. Paxil or some related drug for anxiety might be what you need. It depends on how much it bothers you.
 
-aggie- said:
I sweat the small stuff, but not that small. Or if I do, it's only for a short while. Seriously, you might want to see a doctor about some of that. Paxil or some related drug for anxiety might be what you need. It depends on how much it bothers you.
Click to expand...

I agree. Maybe not the medication but it does sound a bit like Generalized Anxiety, especially since the OP recognizes it.
 
Completely the opposite. I once rode around on a motorbike with a flat tyre for two days. I noticed it was cornering funny, but just didn't care :D
 
Yeah, I'm an anal ****** when it comes to certain things. When I'm designing something, whether it's a building or a piece of furniture, I tend towards ensuring the nitty-gritty is addressed. What kind of drawer pulls, what does the window sill flashing look like, are the proportions of the facade right.

In my garage, I like my tools tuned to tolerances of a few thousandths of an inch. I like my cutting accuracy to be around 1/64", or even tighter.

In the kitchen I (almost) always prep everything before beginning cooking.
 
Ignorance is bliss my friend :D but seriously, I do have strong OCD tendencies if I'm not careful, meaning I have to limit my self to just one "assurance check" otherwise I can take things wayy too far (of god, did I roll up those windows, did I really lock the door, did I torque that bolt good enough :eek: )
 
RITZFit said:
Ignorance is bliss my friend :D but seriously, I do have strong OCD tendencies if I'm not careful, meaning I have to limit my self to just one "assurance check" otherwise I can take things wayy too far (of god, did I roll up those windows, did I really lock the door, did I torque that bolt good enough :eek: )
Click to expand...

Yes I am really, really bad about the double-triple-and quadruple checking of things (i.e. locked doors). I'll lock my apartment door and stand there for a good 10-15 seconds rattling the door handle to make sure it's locked. I think one day I might break off the handle. Or at the very least, my neighbors are going to come out and think I'm trying to break into the place. It's a really bad habit but basically I have to stand at my door and say semi-out loud, "it's locked. Walk away." It is pretty annoying. And that's just one of my issues... obsessive and compulsive behaviors are very frustrating...
 
I am the same about sweating details...

Always wondering if my clutch is feeling a little worn, or worrying about a slight pulsation in my brakes, or a vibration or rattle...

I worry whether I double-checked my pockets for pens or lip balm or something when I do laundry.

When I cook, I lay all the ingredients out beforehand.

When I'm working on refinishing a rifle or fixing a computer or my bike, the workbench looks like a surgery, with all my tools laid out. And I double check every nut or screw.
 
Depends.

If I'm working on a design then I care about the small stuff.

But life in general?

Pffft.
 
Usually not but sometimes the trivial things get the better of me. It's rare to find an absolute when it comes to human nature.
 
Almost everything bothers me *cues Monk theme* :eek:

...if something isn't level it slowly annoys me
...books, CDs, DVDs, etc must be in A to Z order or I'll lose sleep/panic
...when making a sandwich if I cut the bread/sandwich wrong I must start over and throw out the ruined sandwich

I pity my exes who've had to put up with me
 
It just depends. I'm usually laid back, but can be very anal about some things (like I won't let my wife "lock up" at night - I have to do it). But overall I try to let things go with the flow. :)
 
christ

Actually it depends on person to pserson..But the best is we souldn't woory but sometimes its difficult to control
 
I react a little too much to passing comments by people, or just overanalyse what they say. Other than that no! I don't really mind what's going on and I'll find something good in the worst situations.

One thing I don't like is lights when I'm watching something on TV or my mac. I shut the curtains and blinds but if there's a light from my MB (either the charging or sleep light) then I'll put something over it. Or if there's a glint of sunlight faintly spread over the floor but reflected off the chair leg or a wrapper causing a bright spot... gotta fix that!
 
I can overreact to small things, but typically any stress from something is the result of my own procrastination. Then again, I always work best under pressure (...???)

I notice details and can be very analytical, but usually don't get all wigged out over them.

:)
 
Nope , I'm pretty "easy breezy". My house could burn down for example and i wouldn't sweat it. I would just focus on finding another one and rebuilding life.
 
Nah, I don't really care much about the small stuff.

But then, my girlfriend is the exact opposite. If I cared as much as she did, we wouldn't work at all.
 
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