Psychologist Anna Heal

I’m a 58-year-old former high school history teacher who recently started writing a memoir about my time in the classroom. For decades, I relied on a strict evening routine-grading papers, preparing lessons, and reading-to wind down. Now that I’m retired, I’ve noticed an unsettling habit forming: I compulsively organize and reorganize my bookshelves, sometimes for hours at a time. It’s not just about tidiness-I feel a deep, almost physical urge to sort, categorize, and rearrange, even when I know it’s unnecessary. My wife jokes that I’m turning into a ‘human Dewey Decimal System,’ but I’m starting to worry this isn’t just a quirk. It’s disrupted my writing schedule, and I catch myself avoiding social invitations because I’m ‘too busy’ with my shelves. I’ve tried setting time limits, but the moment I start, I lose track of everything else. Is this a form of addiction, or am I overthinking a harmless habit? How can I regain control without feeling like I’m suppressing a part of myself?