10/19/2026
“You seem so calm.” Meanwhile, in my head… 🫠🧠
As a therapist, I can be grounded and present with my clients while my own mind is running through unfinished tasks, things I might have forgotten, and the feeling that I should always be doing more.
I can laugh at this post because it feels familiar, but living it can be exhausting. At my worst, that internal pressure shows up as irritability, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, and being physically with the people I love while mentally somewhere else. Even resting can come with guilt about everything I’m not getting done.
Being a therapist doesn’t make me immune to struggling, and looking capable doesn’t tell you how someone feels inside.
Taking care of myself means protecting time for workouts, walks, nature, cooking, reading, friends, and screen-free time with my kids—even when my brain insists I haven’t earned the break. These things help ground me alongside the support I need.
This is a glimpse of my experience with OCD, rather than everyone’s. Making lists or feeling overwhelmed alone doesn’t mean someone has OCD.
For OCD awareness, I’m sharing more of what happens behind the calm exterior. You can read my personal blog, “You Seem So Calm! What You Don’t See Behind My OCD,” at the link in bio. 🤍
—Anna