35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 1

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long

For many, self-analysis is a particularly obsessive pastime. If that sounds like you, this list discussing signs of a neurodivergent brain may trigger all kinds of twinges of recognition. People online have been sharing their personal observations about behaviours they once dismissed as normal but later realised might be symptoms of being neurologically typical. Scroll below to peruse a few selected favourites from the TikTok post that may or may not feel familiar, keeping in mind that these experiences can be associated with neurodivergence but are not necessarily exclusive to it.

#1

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 2

Not actually “missing” many people or feeling the urge to talk to friends or anyone besides the people you’re around everyday. People are like out of sight out of mind.

#2

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 3

When people tell me a story, I tell them a similar story to try to relate. Ppl don’t like that they think I’m trying to make it about myself when I’m trying to empathize.

#3

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 4

I replay conversations I have with people in my head.. to try to determine if said the appropriate thing and I totally over analyze it. It can be exhausting…

#4

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 5

Getting overwhelmed by environmental noise but always needing the right background noises.

#5

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 6

Constantly googling things when I don’t know. It boggles my mind that people don’t know something and then just keep moving through life not knowing…..

#6

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 7

Brain radio! I thought everyone else was hearing music on repeat inside their head. 😭

#7

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 8

Not hating showering itself but hating the task initiation.

#8

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 9

Always needing to know “why” and doing extensive deep research about random things only to completely lose interest a month or two later.

#9

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 10

Hating obligations, they stress me out. Even fun ones.

#10

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 11

Clearing my ENTIRE day to get ready for an event at 7pm.

#11

I don’t know if there’s a word for it but just thoughts ALL the time about seemingly everything. If I’m interacting with someone I’m thinking about the way I’m sitting or standing, what they think of me, if I’m responding normally, eye contact, that random thing that happened 10 yrs ago and made me feel bad, am I nodding too much?” It takes me out of the moment. Makes me wonder how ppl genuinely enjoy things for a prolonged amount of time.

#12

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 12

Time blindness. I zone out and look at my phone and 2 hours have gone by.

#13

Getting genuinely obsessed with something for a period of time only to then drop it and start the process all over again with something else that caught your interest.

#14

Needing lists of things. If I don’t have my checklist then i’ll probably forget half the things i was supposed to do.

#15

Inability to sleep before any event the next day no matter how unimportant it is

#16

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 13

Having full conversations with myself in my head…

#17

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 14

Instantly recognizing patterns.

#18

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 15

Reading for 30 minutes and having no clue what I just read.

#19

Pattern recognition, re-reading the same sentence/question 10 times and still not understanding, reading a whole page in a book and not even knowing what i read, food hyperfixations, rumination, hating showering because it’s a “big task” for me, not doing anything before a work shift (even if it’s at 4pm) because i’m afraid i won’t have time, listening to the same song over and over, overstimulation by crowds/loudness, getting overwhelmed/frustrated REALLY easily, over analyzing, i could probably think of more.

#20

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 16

Constant overthinking, ruminating, worrying, intrusive, racing thoughts. Until my 30s I thought everyone had the same & were just sailing through life not bothered by it.

#21

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 17

Having to do two things at once in order to pay full attention to one of those things. Example: playing a game on my phone in order to be able to pay attention to a lecture or meeting.

#22

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 18

Saying exactly what I mean but then being called rude when I was being legitimately neutral.

#23

Eating the same option for 3 weeks…then hating it for years 😭😂

#24

Overanalysing every interaction I have with another person. Rejection sensitivity. Extreme reactions to any type of music that tickles my brain and gives me a dopamine release.

#25

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 19

Wanting friends but unable to keep them bc I can’t ever seem to truly like a person once I get to know them.

#26

Forgetting a person’s name straight after they’ve told you.

#27

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 20

Perfectionism. It slows me down with every task, job etc.

#28

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 21

Countdown clock for everything. Apparently “getting ready to get ready to go” is not a normal thing.

#29

Predicting the end of movies, shows, conventions. Being human lie detector and not being able to put into words why I don’t like someone immediately.

#30

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 22

Object permanence, I don’t miss anyone or anything, is a struggle 😩

UnclFredstr:

Object permanence, especially with people. I can go months without communicating, and yet to me, when I do, it feels like just yesterday.

#31

Over explaining 😭😭 I need to keep everything short and sweet but then I feel like I’m not getting my point across good enough.

#32

Having to train myself to make eye contact with people in conversation.

#33

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 23

All or nothing mentality.

#34

Justice sensitivity to the extent of self-detriment.

#35

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 24

Listening to one song on repeat for hours.

35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 25 35 Subtle Habits And Behaviours Of Neurodivergent’s That People Assumed Were Normal For Too Long - 26

Shanilou Perera

Shanilou has always loved reading and learning about the world we live in. While she enjoys fictional books and stories just as much, since childhood she was especially fascinated by encyclopaedias and strangely enough, self-help books. As a kid, she spent most of her time consuming as much knowledge as she could get her hands on and could always be found at the library. Now, she still enjoys finding out about all the amazing things that surround us in our day-to-day lives and is blessed to be able to write about them to share with the whole world as a profession.