Unraveling the Mystery of Your Quirky Habits

Published: June 25, 2013

Do you find yourself chewing on a pen when deep in thought? Or perhaps you’ve turned back home for the third time to check if you’ve turned off the iron? These are small quirks in our behavior that can sometimes irritate both ourselves and those around us, and they can complicate our lives.

Understanding Your Quirks

Quirks come in two main types. The first type involves automatic actions that we perform without thinking, such as chewing on pens, snapping our fingers, or biting our lips. The second type involves obsessive thoughts, like worrying whether you’ve forgotten something important, such as turning off the iron, taking your phone, or feeding your parrot.

Regardless of the type, these quirks share a common trait: they indicate that not everything in your life is running smoothly. Often, stress and heightened anxiety lurk behind these peculiarities. While consulting a psychologist can be beneficial, many of these quirks can be managed independently.

Popping and Picking

Do you enjoy popping pimples or picking at rough patches on your skin? While it may seem harmless, the red marks, inflammation, and potential scars that follow are far from attractive.

What Does It Mean?

This habit often stems from perfectionism. Deep down, you might feel the need to meet an ideal standard, leading you to eliminate anything that stands in your way. Additionally, this behavior can be a manifestation of suppressed aggression. If you’re angry or upset with someone but can’t express these feelings openly, you might redirect your aggression towards your own body.

How to Break the Habit

Place a note or a funny picture on your mirror to remind yourself to touch your face less. If you tend to pick at other parts of your body, try replacing this habit with another action, such as fidgeting with a stress ball or beads to keep your hands busy.

Distrusting Yourself

Every morning on your way to work, do you struggle to remember if you’ve turned off the iron or closed the water tap? Sometimes, you might even turn back halfway to check.

What Does It Mean?

This behavior suggests that you might be overworked. Lack of sleep and high stress levels can reduce your concentration and impair your memory. You start to worry, can’t relax, and constantly anticipate problems, leading to repeated checks.

How to Break the Habit

First, try to slow down. Adequate sleep and proper rest can help you regain your composure and reduce stress. Second, make it a habit to verbalize your actions. For example, saying out loud, “I’ve turned off the gas,” can help you remember. Third, place a bright and noticeable note on your door listing the things you need to check before leaving.

Chewing on Everything

Are all the pens and pencils on your desk chewed up? When you’re worried or deep in thought, do you start chewing on them? Your colleagues might look at you in surprise, and you might feel embarrassed—after all, you’re not a child putting everything in your mouth.

What Does It Mean?

The comparison to children is quite apt. Sucking on a thumb, mother’s breast, or a pacifier soothes infants. For many people, this habit carries over into adulthood. In other words, your actions are an attempt to cope with stress and internal tension. According to a study, email can cause significant stress, which might be a contributing factor.

How to Break the Habit

This habit can be challenging to break. As soon as you start thinking, a pencil might already be in your mouth. How can you control yourself? Buy pens and pencils with attachments that can be coated with something bitter or spicy (yes, just like with children!). This way, you’ll notice when the pen is in your mouth. Again, use replacement actions. Candies, stress balls, or beads can help you forget the habit of ruining your writing instruments.