If you double-check that the stove is off even when you know it is, psychology says you have these 8 traits

Ever catch yourself walking back to the kitchen just to make sure you turned off the stove, even though you literally just checked it thirty seconds ago?

You're not alone. I do this all the time, and for years I wondered if something was wrong with me. Turns out, this seemingly quirky behavior reveals quite a bit about our personality and how our minds work.

Psychology research suggests that those of us who engage in this kind of repetitive checking share certain traits that shape how we navigate the world. And before you worry, these traits aren't necessarily negative. In fact, many of them can be real strengths when we understand them better.

Let me walk you through what I've learned about the eight traits that checking champions like us tend to share.

1. You're highly conscientious

If you're a chronic checker, chances are you take your responsibilities seriously. Really seriously.

You're the friend who always remembers birthdays, the colleague who proofreads emails three times before hitting send, and yes, the person who makes absolutely certain the stove is off before leaving the house.

Research from the Journal of Personality shows that people high in conscientiousness tend to engage in more checking behaviors. We're detail-oriented folks who pride ourselves on being reliable and thorough.

I used to see this as exhausting, and sometimes it is. But think about it: would you rather have a conscientious surgeon or one who figures "eh, close enough" when operating? Your attention to detail matters, even if it means an extra trip to the kitchen.

2. You have a vivid imagination

Here's something interesting: those of us who double-check tend to have incredibly active imaginations.

When I check that stove, my brain has already constructed an elaborate scenario involving fire trucks, worried neighbors, and my poor houseplants meeting their demise. Sound familiar?

Psychologists call this "catastrophic thinking," but I prefer to think of it as having a creative mind that's really good at storytelling. Unfortunately, our inner novelist likes to write disaster fiction when we're trying to leave for work.

The same imagination that helps you solve problems creatively and think outside the box can also paint vivid pictures of what might go wrong. It's a double-edged sword, but at least we're never bored, right?

3. You value safety and security

This one might seem obvious, but it goes deeper than you might think.

People who repeatedly check things often have what psychologists call a "prevention focus." We're motivated by keeping bad things from happening rather than making good things happen.

Growing up, I was always the kid who reminded everyone to wear their seatbelts. As an adult, I'm still that person who makes sure everyone texts when they get home safe. This trait makes us excellent at risk assessment and keeping ourselves and others out of harm's way.

Sure, we might spend an extra five minutes making sure everything is secure, but we also rarely deal with preventable disasters.

4. You're probably a perfectionist

Oh, this one hits home for me.

Remember being labeled "gifted" as a kid and feeling like everything you did had to be flawless? That pressure to be perfect doesn't just disappear when we grow up. It morphs into behaviors like checking the stove multiple times because leaving it on would be a "mistake," and mistakes are unacceptable.

I spent years being miserable trying to achieve perfection in everything until I finally learned about the concept of "good enough." But old habits die hard, and that perfectionist tendency still shows up when I'm making sure I locked the door properly.

If you're nodding along, know that perfectionism and checking behaviors often go hand in hand. We hold ourselves to impossibly high standards, and checking helps us feel like we're meeting them.

5. You experience higher levels of anxiety

Let's address the elephant in the room: anxiety.

Many of us who double-check things are managing some level of anxiety. That nagging "what if" voice in our heads gets louder when we're stressed, tired, or going through tough times.

My own checking behaviors definitely intensified during stressful periods in my life. When I was working as a financial analyst dealing with high-stakes decisions all day, I'd sometimes check my apartment door three times before leaving.

Anxiety isn't a character flaw, though. It's your brain trying to keep you safe, even if it's being a bit overzealous about it. Understanding this connection can help us be more compassionate with ourselves when we're caught in a checking loop.

6. You have a strong sense of responsibility

Do you feel personally responsible for preventing bad things from happening, even when they're unlikely or beyond your control?

Welcome to the club. We're the people who feel genuinely guilty if something goes wrong, even when it's not our fault. This heightened sense of responsibility drives us to check and double-check because we couldn't live with ourselves if our "negligence" caused a problem.

I've had to work on this one. Learning that I'm not actually responsible for preventing every possible negative outcome has been liberating, though I still find myself checking that stove.

7. You think in absolutes

Black and white thinking is another trait common among us checkers.

The stove is either completely off or it's going to burn the house down. The door is either locked or burglars are already planning their entrance. There's no middle ground in our minds sometimes.

I struggled with this all-or-nothing thinking for years, especially around ethics and decision-making. Everything had to be absolutely right or it was completely wrong. Learning to embrace nuance and gray areas has helped, though my brain still defaults to extremes when I'm stressed.

This trait can make us principled and decisive, but it can also lead to unnecessary anxiety when we can't achieve absolute certainty about something as simple as whether we unplugged the hair straightener.

8. You have excellent attention to detail

Here's a silver lining: chronic checkers often have exceptional attention to detail.

We notice things others miss. We catch typos, spot inconsistencies, and remember small but important details. In my work, this trait has been invaluable. When everyone else is ready to move forward, I'm the one who catches that one small error that could have caused big problems down the line.

Yes, it means we might check the stove more than necessary, but it also means we're thorough, careful, and reliable. These are qualities that serve us well in many areas of life.

Final thoughts

If you recognize yourself in these traits, you're in good company. Some of the most successful, creative, and caring people I know are fellow checkers.

The key isn't to eliminate these traits entirely but to understand them and find balance. Maybe you don't need to check the stove three times, but once is perfectly reasonable. Perhaps that attention to detail that drives your checking can be channeled into your work or creative pursuits.

Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. These traits have probably kept you safe, helped you succeed, and made you someone others can count on. So the next time you find yourself double-checking that stove, remember that it's just your conscientious, creative, responsible brain doing its thing.

And hey, at least you'll never accidentally leave it on.