Little Rituals, Big Relatability
Everybody thinks they’re the only one who does that thing. We’re talking about those little self-indulgent habits you engage in when no one’s looking—the nervous habit, the tiny ritual, the strange comfort. You may go to great lengths to hide these habits from others until the day comes when you realize half the room has done the same. And suddenly, what felt weird just feels human. We all share these tiny quirks, though most of us pretend we don’t. Here are twenty quirky habits that are more normal than you think.
1. Talking to Yourself
We’re not talking about the dramatic monologues in movies, just the muttering under your breath when you’re running late or stuck in traffic, or those little pep talks you give yourself before a big meeting. People laugh about it, but honestly, it’s just externalized thinking.
2. Sniffing Clothes Before Wearing Them
We’ve all been there, a day or two behind our laundry schedule. We see the shirt on the edge of the bed, and before pulling it on, we give it a quick sniff to see if it’s passably fresh.
3. Making Up Songs About Nothing
Whether you’re in the shower or walking down a forest trail, sometimes the mood to sing just hits you—whether or not your singing voice is up to the task. Maybe the song starts out as a familiar tune, but suddenly you’ve forgotten the words and you’re ad-libbing. It’s not good. It’s not meant to be. It’s just noise, but it keeps you moving.
4. Checking the Fridge Again
You know the fridge is empty, but you decide to open it anyway—for the third time in five minutes. Maybe, just maybe, the food might’ve respawned since your last glance inside.
5. Rehearsing Conversations
Maybe you have a scheduled call with your crush, or maybe you’re just running through what you’ll say before the big meeting. Sometimes, a little preparation calms your nerves and gives you the chance to find that killer line before you need it.
6. Pretending to Text in Public
We shouldn’t feel awkward standing alone, but sometimes we do and feel the need to keep our hands busy. So, despite having not received a message, you unlock your phone and scroll through your messages just in case your phone was on silent and you missed something.
7. Using Voices for Pets
Talking to your dog in your normal speaking voice just feels wrong somehow. It needs to be sillier, an octave higher or lower. That’s what really sets their tails wagging. Pets never judge, but guests notice. Still, it’s normal.
8. Counting Steps or Tiles
There’s just something about neat quadrants on a floor that wakes up our analytical selves. Maybe we start counting the grey ones or deliberately avoiding the smaller decorative ones. Sometimes it feels like a game, sometimes like compulsion, but it’s common.
9. Saying “Ow” Even When It Doesn’t Hurt
If you’ve bumped into a chair or stubbed your toe (who hasn’t?), you know all too well how it can draw an involuntary “ow” out of you. The world itself doesn’t actually mean anything, but it’s automatic, like punctuation declaring an injury.
10. Talking to Inanimate Objects
We’ve been there, urging the jar lid to open or congratulating our old car for making it up the hill. People treat objects like friends, and sometimes it seems they respond to our encouragement—or our criticism.
11. Creating Entire Backstories for Strangers
When you have time to spare on your daily commute, it’s easy to start imagining the lives of the strangers around you on the subway. That couple on the train—she’s clearly upset, and he’s trying desperately to get in her good books again. That guy in line with a bouquet—apology flowers.
12. Watching the Same Comfort Show Again
Yes, it’s the tenth rewatch of The Office. Yes, you know every line. But new shows require you to give your full attention to follow the plot, and the old ones feel safe and can just chug away in the background.
13. Practicing Fake Arguments in the Shower
We all have those people in our lives that just grind our gears and who we’d love to give a piece of our mind. Maybe it’s been twenty years since you were in grade school, and suddenly one morning in the shower, you’re telling off your grade-ten math teacher. In these quiet moments, it’s easy to secure the victory we never had.
14. Re-Reading Old Texts for No Reason
Maybe they’re painful, maybe they’re pleasant reminders of better times. Rereading old texts and scrolling through old conversations is something we’ve all done. Nobody likes to admit it, but it’s true.
15. Whispering “Sorry” to Strangers You Bump Into
Even if it’s just a light brush that happened completely by accident. Even if they didn’t notice it, that reflex apology just comes blurting out. Canadians get teased for it, but it’s a global phenomenon.
Pedram Normohamadian on Unsplash
16. Imagining Interviews That Will Never Happen
Standing in the shower, shampoo in your hair, and suddenly you’re on late-night TV explaining your artistic process. The interviewer laughs, the audience claps, and you bask in the light of their imaginary adoration.
17. Narrating Your Own Life
Silently—or sometimes out loud—the narrator in your head suddenly takes center stage. You might simply be pouring your morning coffee, but your mind is narrating it like a scene out of a book: “The coffee swirled into the mug.” Feels weird, but it’s a private documentary only you watch.
18. Smelling Books
The smell is half the joy of owning a library. We’re not just talking about new books—although that particular scent can’t be beat—but old ones too. That musty scent of paper carries with it the weight of nostalgia and solitude.
19. Singing Wrong Lyrics on Purpose
You know the real line, but we all share the same silly instincts as Weird Al Yankovic. “Hold me closer, Tony Danza” is funnier than the original, so you sing it anyway. Nobody corrects you because they’ve done the same.
Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
20. Checking Behind the Shower Curtain
We may be in our thirties—or older—but that tiny frightened child still lives within us. We may know there’s nothing behind the curtain, but we look anyway. Or under the bed. Or in the closet. Because you never know.
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