Does anyone else count everything?

[Canopop]

I count everything, not in seconds or anything meaningful just arbitrary counting. Just caught myself counting while I’m filling my mug from the kettle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 I know it always takes 7 to fill my green mugs … is this normal do other people do this? It doesn’t impact my life remotely and I’m very chill person nice job lovely family etc no trauma… just thought maybe it’s not completely normal to count everything but maybe it is?

Yes, but I am diagnosed with OCD and counting is a big part of it

It’s nice to know there’s some more of us out there!

Yep, I've always done this. It's normal to me, I don't even think about it. I like even numbers too. Odd numbers unsettle me slightly. It doesn't impact my life in any negative way, it's just something I do.

Yes I love love learning about people’s quirks everyone is so unique brains are wild

Oh I’m so glad it’s not just me!
I know how many steps my regular walk is, I count stairs as I climb, socks as I sort them, how many straight lines there are in any given word, how many times I will let my phone ring before I answer it.
Is it just to avoid having to think about other, important things I wonder?

Odd numbers or the amount doesn’t bother me at all. I just count stuff.

I don’t count time like this, but I often count random things. I was in a pub garden recently with DH and there were a string of pretty lights going round the garden. My mind couldn’t rest until I’d counted them and I was very relieved that there were an even number. I also ‘had’ to count some birds on some wallpaper I saw recently in a cafe. This sort of thing happens once a week or so.

Yes, I count things all the time.
I'm autistic. I always count the seconds when I'm filling the kettle, for example. It had to be filled to an even number of seconds though, because
I don't do odd numbers. They really upset me. I mean, I can't cope with them. I can't order odd numbers of things online. I can't turn volume dials up to odd numbers either.
🤣

Yes I count too! Glad I’m not the only one.

I do if I’m doing something repetitive.
I was counting how many scrapes it takes to peel carrots earlier. It’s seven.

I also count breaths when running. About 30 is one minute, and 300 is a mile.

Oh yes I get that I think that’s an extra counting thought game. It reminds me actually in school I used to count the ceiling tiles in all the classrooms.

Yes! I count all sorts of things - glugs of juice, grating the cheese, climbing the stairs, anything repetitive. I also add up the numbers on car reg plates until I get to a single digit! Nice to hear about some fellow counters!

I count the number of walls and windows in a room. Like you I consider myself a fairly chill person.

I count stairs.

I count when I'm waiting for something to happen , like the bus to come or the kettle to boil. Up to 60 and then back down again. And up again . And so on until it happens.

When I was a little girl I used to have to count my teddy bears lined up on the bed before I could go to sleep. I didn't know until fairly recently that this was a sign of neurodivergence.

But no surprise I have been given an Autism diagnosis as a mature adult.

What do you count to help you get to sleep?

I've tried 🐑 of course & spiral stairs... corners in a box (repeating 1 to 4) nothing has helped, but having a bad spell of insomnia so keen to try something new!

@Canopop not the way you do, no. I wouldn't count to fill a cup or someone walking out of the room etc, that's too inexact for me, but I count things (stairs, walking steps) not sure if that counts as a yes or no for you 💁🏻‍♀️

Same here!
I've found my people.

Nope, I don't do this. I'm a very wordsy not numbersy person!

8 is definitely a good number, as are any multiples of 4.

All the time! Pegging things onto the washing line, putting shopping into fridge or cupboards, items in and out of the washing machine (no idea if they ever tally) crockery out of dishwasher, cutlery back into drawer.

Intelligent, professional women who is not OCD nor am I worried about things going missing. It is just a habit

This is interesting because I loved maths in school and have quite a technical job that you could say is mathematical in some aspects whereas my husband loved English and does a different kind of job to me and does not get this counting thing at all.

Multiples of 4 are like super-even numbers so multiple of 8 therefore are super-duper-even numbers (in my mind) 🤣

I do this too. I also randomly like to read things like shop names or road names etc backwards 😂

I have to count everything. I have always done it for as long as I can remember. I am 56.

How many candles, how many items on the wall, how many objects on the shelf, how many birthday cards on display, how many panels on the wall, how many columns on the radiator, how many bottles behind the bar, how many cushions, how many tables and chairs in a restaurant, how many people on the bus etc etc etc.

I also need to know how many days or weeks to a specific date or event.

I like odd numbers, particularly 17 and 75 (which is 4 lots of 17 plus 7). I count lots of things!

Yes, I’ve always done it. Then I work out what it divides by. The best things divide by 4.