Sound familiar? Checking and checking

Lately Ive developed this thing where I just have to check things. Let me explain:
I'm a ride operator at an amusement park and every day the rides go through several inspections. As the operator I do the last inspection and open the ride. There is a sheet with a bunch of boxes that we check off if its working (Say, if the fan works, we check the box that says so). Then we sign it and check off that the ride is ready to open.
Lately I have this thing where every couple hours or so I need to check the inspection sheet and makes sure I checked everything off that should have been and that I signed it and filled it out properly. Even after checking it once, I feel the need to check it again later on.
Also when I go hiking I feel the need to stop and make sure I have something in my backpack that I need (checking for my car keys are my most frequent stop). Ill be walking and my brain says "I don't think you have your keys with you, you gotta see if they're still in your bag." And Ill keep on walking because logically I know the keys are in there, they're not going to jump out on their own. But after a few minutes it drives me crazy because what if I forgot them in the car or dropped them last time I opened my bag. So then I check and sure enough the keys (or whatever I think I'm missing) are there. And then Ill walk a mile and go through this again.
If I don't check, my anxiety rapidly increases as time goes on. This is new for me and I really don't like it.

Do you experience something like this? Do you know of anything that helps? Should I check the things sooner to avoid the anxiety increase or should I hold out for as long as I can? What exactly is happening?

If you do what your feelings tell you, which is to check and check, you will spiral down into the OCD swamp. The right thing is to do what your reason tells you, not check when it is unnecessary. That might help the illness from progressing.

Helpful article

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psy...fe-sorry%3famp

Sorry I'm not much help but want to say yes this does sound familiar. There is an aspect of my job which requires quite extensive checking and I have to fight to go back and double check, sometimes I don't win and so I do, but I am time limited for the task so can't too often. I also check other stuff, my belongings etc, locking doors.

It's difficult.

I've been trying hard to not continuously check everything. Today it's driving me nuts because I want to make sure my car is locked but I am at work and it's a 15 minute bus ride back to my car. I'm also refraining from checking the inspection sheet as well. Basically I'm an anxious mess today.

If you're in the beginning of your OCD "career" it would make sense to look for some specialized therapy for that issue (behavioral therapy, not CBT). It is much easier to stop in its initial phase than later on.