Recently I was at a park in Irvine with my son and observed a group of young boys trying to capture a squirrel. At first they tried running after it, then tempting it with food, and finally designing a trap using leaves, twigs and sand. During this time the boys were excited and swiftly running about, trying to work as a team. While they were active and busy, it seemed unlikely that the squirrel’s safety was in doubt. It reminded me of a industrial psychologist friend who often used the phrase “Movement doesn’t ensure productivity.” In many ways, this relates to OC and anxiety disorders:
· Going up and down a staircase multiple times doesn’t actually make me less likely to have a heart attack.
· Showering one more time doesn’t really make me that much cleaner.
· Analyzing every possible outcome doesn’t help me prepare for the most likely ones.
· Does carrying all of these safety items really make me safer from a panic attack?
Rather than assuming my behaviors are useful, I need to examine them outside of my emotions (thinking about my thinking, or metacognitions) to better understand their utility: am I really making progress towards my long term goals, or am I just chasing squirrels?