6 'Crazy' Things Women Do That Are Actually Super Healthy, According To Research
Those 'psycho' women behaviors aren't all that bad when you look at it this way.
larisa Stefanjuk | Shutterstock Let’s get one thing straight — women aren’t crazy. But we do get called that a lot, especially when we express emotions, ask questions, or act on our instincts. The truth is, a lot of the behaviors people love to label as "psycho" are actually just signs of being self-aware, emotionally intelligent, or — gasp — human.
So if you've ever been side-eyed for stalking a new guy’s socials or catching heat for bringing up kids "too soon," relax. Science has your back. Here are six so-called "crazy" things women do that are, in fact, super healthy.
Here are 6 'crazy' things women do that are actually super healthy:
1. They Google and stalk people on social media
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We really can’t underestimate how regularly men simply mistreat women in dating situations. Or how arrogant, whiny, or boring some guys can be.
Most women who have been dating for any length of time have at least one horror story. Many have a dating horror story compendium. Ask around.
Guys, you probably have friends who are players and manipulators — can you really fault a woman for trying to find out everything she possibly can about a guy before she goes out with him? Tweets, Facebook pics, articles — this stuff isn’t secret. It’s information that’s readily available.
The rub is that the Internet is deceptive, and you never really know about someone until you meet them in person. Sometimes you gotta take a chance, but to go in with any less than all the information? That’s like jumping out of a plane without a parachute.
Research consistently shows a strong association between social media use and stalking, with some studies indicating that individuals with a strong desire to avoid social exclusion may be more inclined to engage in stalking to monitor the social activities of others.
2. They have cats
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Have you heard this? That having cats, even one cat, is now supposedly indicative of a woman’s craziness?
As if a kitten is some kind of gateway drug that leads to heavy hoarding and daytime TV habit. This is ridiculous, wrong-headed, Seinfeldian thinking. Plain and simple.
Women who own cats may experience benefits, including increased family involvement, higher well-being, and stronger emotional connections with their pets. Research suggests that cat owners may display particular personality traits, such as being more independent, cautious, and unconventional.
3. They want physical intimacy
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“She can’t get enough. She’s like, crazy, or something.” Guys. We seriously need to stop putting women down for wanting to hook up with us. Besides being an unfair double standard, it’s just counterintuitive.
Because we want women to want to be with us, and many of them do. Please, don’t screw this up for the rest of us by acting like a woman’s insane for indulging her innate desires, okay?
Women may have diverse motivations for engaging in physical intimacy, including feeling closer to their partner, resolving conflict, or even as a form of stress relief. A 2022 study stresses that open communication about intimate desires and preferences between partners is crucial for individuals' satisfaction and overall relationship well-being.
4. They get jealous
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I’ll grant you, jealousy that is completely unfounded and provokes a wildly disproportionate reaction is a little scary.
But cursing you out in front of the whole bowling alley because you were flirting with the shoe rental girl (who you were totally flirting with) and accusing you of wanting to break up (when you have been wanting to break up and have been too chicken to say so)? Or stealing your phone and looking at your text history (when you have been texting with your ex again and lying about it)?
Women get psycho treatment for doing things like this all the time, but you have to ask — are they psycho if they’re right?
Research suggests that, while often viewed negatively, jealousy can be a healthy and even adaptive emotion in relationships. When expressed constructively, it can signal investment in a relationship and motivate individuals to protect it.
5. They talk about wanting babies
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It’s like this — men can wait a lot longer to father children than women can to mother them.
Women might sometimes worry, as they get older, that if they wait around for a man to be ready to have children, they might miss their window. So, a woman might bring this up earlier than is comfortable for a man, in order to gauge his reaction.
Research indicates that motherhood can positively impact women's well-being, particularly in the context of marriage and family. However, it's also important to recognize that the experience of motherhood can be challenging and that the impact on well-being can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances.
6. They throw your stuff out
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The need for trust and acceptance in our lives is universal. And powerful.
So powerful sometimes that we promise each other unconditional love in the throes of courtship before we can possibly comprehend the subtle conflicts that will arise between us. These conflicts breed doubt.
But, at this point, we’ve already promised trust and acceptance — emotional safety. We don’t want to go back on it, so we try, despite our doubts, to make it work.
Let’s say you’re in a situation like this, and the doubt becomes a certainty that she’s not the one. Out of nowhere, you take it all away without her consent. And there’s nothing that she can do about it.
So the injured party acts out. She suddenly can’t bear to look at your records that are still in her bedroom and remind her of how just a week ago the two of you were cuddling in bed, listening to “Astral Weeks” and talking about the future. How could you be talking about the future just a week ago and now ending things so definitively?
So she throws your records out the window. It’s not very rational, and it sucks for you, but nothing about any of this has really been rational, has it? You made promises you couldn’t keep in the heat of the moment and then retracted them. For no reason that you could explain.
Experiencing intense emotions, including acting out, after a breakup is a natural and often healthy part of the grieving and healing process. While the specific behaviors and expressions may vary, a 2015 study explained that underlying emotional distress is a common experience.
To her, you’re the psycho. And besides, it’s not like she set your car on fire.
Amanda Chatel has been a wellness and relationship journalist for over a decade. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Shape, Self, and other outlets.
