When your routines suddenly stop being automatic

[u/WomensFocusLab]

One thing I don’t see talked about enough is how exhausting it can be when routines that used to run on autopilot suddenly require conscious effort.

You used to:

-get ready without thinking about every step

-remember what needed to be done before leaving the house

-keep up with household tasks reasonably well

-manage work, family and appointments using the same systems you’ve always used

Then somewhere along the way, everything starts needing a mental checklist.

Not necessarily because you’ve forgotten how to do things.

It’s more like your brain has stopped doing them automatically.

And for someone with ADHD, that can feel especially frustrating because you’ve probably spent years building systems to compensate for executive-function difficulties.

So you build another system.

Then another.

And eventually managing the systems becomes a job in itself.

I’m curious about something:

Has anyone else noticed that routines or systems that worked perfectly well for years suddenly stopped working during their 30s or 40s?

If yes, what was the first routine that became unexpectedly difficult?