Human Autopilot

[DazZ.]

I recently realised there are alot of things I do without thinking about, but just do them whilst my mind shuts off to daydream.

Most recent example is I walk my dog everyday, go right down the bottom of the road and head to some fields, normal dog walking situations occur.
Then I was walking to town whacked my headphones in found I was in the same field before I realised I was supposed to turn left at bottom of my road instead of right.
It didn't help I was exceptionally tired and I was only going to town to do some generic errands, nothing of personal interest.

However that's when I realised I shut off too much, and been trying nudge myself and say "Hey! Your doing it again." and make a mental note of times it happens.

It happens most when I'm sat in front of my computer doing fuck all for a day and I sometimes make a cup of tea, bring it up and realise I have one right next to me that's still not totally cold. (I make tea ALOT so that is another thing thats forced itself into autopilot and I just do.)

tl'dr / Question:
Am I alone in drifting off and totally not paying attention to certain things or are there things that you all do just without thinking/realising?

 

[Curtmiester]

I actually make sandwhichs with realizing it.

 

[thiosk]

When I'm driving, I often take the same turns I would normally take to work. For example, I'll turn left to go to work, and my fiancee will go bonkers because I was supposed to go the other direction.

After moving to a new apartment, the next day I'll often drive to my old apartment.

Happens to me all the time.

 

[Gunner 51]

I daydream of my girlfriend being in the room with me when she phones me.

 

[flare09]

I walk to school and back, and most of the times I don't even realize I did it because I'm lost in my mind until I get to my house.

 

[Timotei]

When I get up in the mornin, I cook breakfast. It's gotten to the point where I can cook my breakfast by smell and mental timing.

 

[GodsOneMistake]

I don't do that at all, like I have said before I am ungodly observant, and always know what I'm doing.

 

[Clashero]

I get up every day, cook some breakfast, put my clothes on, walk to the train station, take the train, get off 8 stations and 30 minutes later, cross the street, take the bus, and stop at the university.
All of this is done automatically, and if anything fails (such as, there's no electricity in the house so I can't cook my breakfast) the whole cycle breaks down and I have trouble remembering what comes next. Also, if I'm supposed to go pick up something at the tailor's, for which I have to take the train, but not the bus afterwards, I'll end up taking the bus anyway and getting down at the university and go "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING HERE? THE TAILOR IS 40 BLOCKS AWAY!"

 

[afaceforradio]

I find I can process oxygen without even trying.

I tend to pick up the remote and just hold it all the way through a movie. Anyone'd think I was an ex-smoker or something because I can't sit watching a film without messing with something.

 

[Clashero]

I find I can process oxygen without even trying.

I tend to pick up the remote and just hold it all the way through a movie. Anyone'd think I was an ex-smoker or something because I can't sit watching a film without messing with something.

Hah! I fidget with things all the time. It drives my family insane. During a meal, I'm always making the glass clink, crumbling napkins, tingling cutlery, making my plate spin, or tapping the legs of the table with my feet.

 

[Kajt]

No, you're not alone. I go into autopilot a lot myself, especially when jogging.

 

[DazZ.]

I find I can process oxygen without even trying.

I tend to pick up the remote and just hold it all the way through a movie. Anyone'd think I was an ex-smoker or something because I can't sit watching a film without messing with something.

Hah! I fidget with things all the time. It drives my family insane. During a meal, I'm always making the glass clink, crumbling napkins, tingling cutlery, making my plate spin, or tapping the legs of the table with my feet.

This was worst in school for me, used to flip rulers about and not realise they made quite a loud noise when I landed them on my desk. Used to use them like those little finger skateboard things, (I actually got really good sadly).
In science used to mess about with the gas taps and draw on everything.

I used to shut myself off when I was a lifeguard aswell, probably best I don't do that again this summer...

 

[L4hlborg]

I do a lot of things without realizing it.
It's worst when I'm doing something without noticing and then I forget what I'm doing.

I'll end up walking around in circles until my brain kicks back into gear.

Yeah, hate when that happens. If I don't know where I'm heading, it's pretty safe to guess that shower. That's where I usualy head if I am on autopilot mode.

 

[The Maddest March Hare]

A little while ago on an old racing game I was playing on the endurance races (20-30 laps of a medium length course..o.o') and slowly faded out after about lap 4. The next thing I realised was going on was the end of the race stats popping up telling me I'd finished in 1st with a 10 minute lead on the person in second. On hard. Apparently when I fade out I get better at things.

 

[DazZ.]

It's worst when I'm doing something without noticing and then I forget what I'm doing.

That happens to me alot in the kitchen, forgetting what I went in for, so just make something totally different then only remember what I wanted when I get back.

Edit:

Apparently when I fade out I get better at things.

Shit, I've defiantly had that, only particular things that are repetitive though.

FFIX the bit near the start where you do the fight scene and got to press the buttons that come up on screen, I forced myself to just get "zen" and do it without thinking.

Tekken/Tetris/Pacman is just a zombified state aswell. I'm sure there are alot more times aswell.

 

[DoctorWhat]

I can consciously do that. If I need to concentrate on something, or need to relax, I can "zone out" allow my body free reign and retreat into my mind for a while. Handy if I need sleep. Though can sometimes be disorienting when I come out of my stupor and I have no idea where I am or how I got there (usually it's the kitchen, getting food or something).

 

[Golden Gryphon]

I often find myself thinking things like 'I should probably eat now' and then immediately forgetting about it until much later when I realise it's 9pm and I still haven't had dinner.

 

[Lynx]

I have a tip for you. Study meditation. It is definitely more interesting than western culture builts it up to be. Overall, I'd say it's a way of learning to appreciate the present moment and living every awake second of your life in a conscious state. Just a tip, it probably isn't for everyone, but it has definitely helped me appreciate my moments more and stop missing out.

 

[Jedamethis]

I always change songs on my phone without really noticing, and everybody goes into the kitchen without knowing what they went in there for. its called Woking

 

[Orca87]

I don't go on auto pilot much, but I can BSoD sometimes, and need to take a minute to figure out where I am and stuff. Sometimes I go into a trance, a creative one, mostly when I'm writing, and I end up getting annoyed, because I read it back, to edit, and realise I don't know what's going to happen next, because it's basically writing itself :/