It happens all the time – I’ll get up with a clear purpose, walk into the kitchen or bedroom, and then… blank. My mind is totally empty. Is it a short-circuit in the brain? Does the doorway itself do something(joking)? It’s so common but feels so weird.
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I don’t remember why it happens but I learned somewhere a long time ago that if you just walk back through the doorway you came through you can remember again. I do it all the time and it actually works.
Welcome to middle age.
I have ADHD, and its pretty severe. This is just how my life is. I have absolutely no idea what is going on, or why I am doing anything unless I really really make an effort.
It’s actually a real thing called the ‘doorway effect’ your brain kind of resets when you enter a new space, like it’s shifting context. So walking through a door can literally make you forget what you were doing. Brains are wild.
It’s called the doorstep syndrome, you forget the things because you have a change of surroundings. If it happens to me I retrace every step ( literally walk back the way I came ) and most of the times I remember it again.
Years ago some comedian had a bit where he said he knew what it felt like to be a dog. He’d walk in a room, look around, forgot why he went in there and leave, just like his dog.
But it’s a common thing with ADHD. You’ll remember why you went in there a few minutes after you sit back down.
Don’t stop half way up the stairs. Or it will be “Did I stop because I forgot something downstairs?” Quickly followed by “What am I going upstairs for?”
And the number of times I’ve gone upstairs, tidied all the bedrooms, walked back downstairs, and realised that I forgot to bring down what I went upstairs for, all that time ago. 🙄
You walked into the room when the Men In Black were doing their secret spy stuff and whipped out their neuralyzers to make you forget what you saw. They also add wire coat hangers to your closet, steal only the left socks, and sometimes start science projects in the back of your refrigerator.
rumination
I don’t know the why, but it happens to me a lot. Usually if I walk back to the room I was in earlier I’ll remember. Then when I go to the second room again I’ll still remember.
ETA: I do like to see that it happens to others. it makes me feel less like there’s something wrong with me.
The doorway effect!
doorway effect.
the brain goes into ‘scanning new environment’ mode and forgets it’s previous task.
Cannabis?