These days, more people are discovering they might be neurodivergent later in life.
What seemed like personal quirks or habits might actually be signs of how your brain uniquely works. There are certain everyday behaviours that could hint at neurodivergence, though everyone’s experience is different. Of course, relating to these doesn’t equate to a clinical diagnosis, so if you’re concerned, you’ll need to contact your GP.
1. Noise feels overwhelming.
Background sounds other people ignore can feel like constant interruptions. The hum of fluorescent lights, overlapping conversations, or chewing sounds might be more than just annoying—they can feel downright unbearable. It’s like the world is on max volume, with no way to turn it down. Headphones might be essential for you to stay focused and calm, even if coworkers don’t get why they’re so necessary.
2. Textures control your comfort.
Certain fabrics might be unbearable against your skin, so tags get snipped immediately, and clothing choices revolve around feel, not fashion. Food preferences can hinge on texture rather than flavour, and some materials feel impossible to touch. For you, comfort depends on how things feel against your skin—textures that don’t bother anyone else can throw off your whole day.
3. Time is hard to grasp.
No matter how hard you try, time seems to slip away or speed up at will. “Five minutes” can mean anything, and deadlines often catch you off guard. You might struggle to estimate how long things will take, which makes scheduling tricky. The disconnect between how time feels and how it actually passes can create a lot of extra stress.
4. Focus is all or nothing.
Source: Unsplash You’re either completely engrossed, losing track of time, or your mind is scattered in a million directions. There’s no middle ground; once you’re interested, hours can disappear, but if you’re not, staying on task feels impossible. This deep, intense focus—often without warning—can be a blessing, but it’s also unpredictable.
5. Routines are a necessity.
Source: Unsplash Small changes to your daily routine can leave you feeling out of sorts. The wrong breakfast or an unexpected shift in plans might throw your whole day off. You need consistency to feel settled, and people might find your routines overly strict. But without them, it’s hard to function comfortably.
6. Small talk feels impossible.
Casual conversations leave you drained. It can feel like you either overshare or clam up entirely, and reading social cues feels like trying to understand a new language. Making eye contact takes conscious effort, and every interaction often leads to overthinking what you could have said differently.
7. Feelings get intense.
Your feelings can feel bigger and more intense than the situation calls for—joy is ecstatic, and sadness is deeply heavy. Emotions come on physically, and you might experience them as almost overwhelming waves. People may ask you to “calm down,” not realising that this intensity is simply how you experience the world.
8. Details dominate your attention.
Source: Unsplash You notice things other people don’t—tiny changes in your surroundings, patterns everywhere, or small flaws everyone else overlooks. Your brain catches every detail, and it’s challenging to pull back and focus on the bigger picture. The constant stream of observations can make it hard to shift focus to the larger context.
9. Movement feels necessary.
Source: Unsplash Sitting still might feel uncomfortable, and fidgeting helps you focus. You bounce your leg without noticing, or pacing becomes a natural part of your thinking process. This need for movement can feel ingrained, and you might get comments from people about your “restlessness,” even though it helps you concentrate.
10. Organisation follows your own logic.
Your way of organising doesn’t fit the usual mould. Maybe you rely on visual memory more than labels, or your space looks messy but makes perfect sense to you. Traditional organising systems feel impossible to maintain, and what looks chaotic to other people actually follows a clear, if unconventional, structure.
11. Your energy levels fluctuate wildly.
You can swing between intense productivity and total exhaustion. Socialising can drain your energy faster than people realise, and it might take you longer to recover from busy days. Managing your energy feels like a constant balancing act, and even simple tasks can sometimes feel disproportionately tiring.
12. Your memory works in unpredictable ways.
You might remember random details from years ago but forget appointments or recent instructions. Memory seems tied more to interest than importance, so trivial things stick while essential ones disappear. The randomness of what you retain might surprise people, and you often need reminders for even routine things.
13. Your interests become obsessive.
When something sparks your interest, you dive in completely. Learning everything about a topic brings comfort and joy, even if the intensity surprises people. These interests provide a sense of focus and passion, becoming central to who you are. They’re a source of comfort as much as fascination.
14. Words can feel hard to find.
Expressing yourself verbally isn’t always easy, especially under stress. Words sometimes slip away when you’re tired, or you lose access to common vocabulary mid-sentence. Explaining thoughts takes more effort, and communication can feel like translating from your mind to speech. It’s frustrating when you know what you want to say, but the words don’t come easily.
15. Masking is exhausting.
Pretending to be “normal” or to fit in takes a lot of energy. You’ve probably learned to mimic behaviours and adapt in social settings, but acting neurotypical can feel like an exhausting performance. It’s only when you’re alone or with people you trust that you can relax, and the constant effort of fitting in can lead to serious burnout over time.
