Three years in and my gut still writes its own schedule

2026-10-09 2155 views 3 posts

I've been around here since the before times, and I'll say this plainly because I wish someone had said it to me early: the urgency side doesn't announce itself, and it doesn't care that you're three minutes from home.

Tuesday I was in the library parking lot holding a canvas bag of returns when my body gave me roughly an eight-second window. I made it inside, barely, then sat in the car afterward and laughed at myself for a solid minute.

What I've noticed in year three is that it's almost never random. For me it's usually the second day after a restaurant meal with more oil than I guessed, and it hits faster now than it did in year one.

There was a thread last fall where people were mapping their own patterns, and honestly that's the only thing that's helped — not willpower, just a note on my phone.

Anyone else keeping a running list of what sets it off? Mine's up to four items and I'm weirdly proud of it.

I’ve been tracking mine in a notes app—time, place, what I ate in the prior 24 hours, and whether coffee was involved. It hasn’t fixed anything, but my weekly averages showed the worst clusters after restaurant meals, not at home.

The library parking lot story resonates; I now keep a small tote in the car with wipes and a spare pair of underwear. Not glamorous, but it lowers the panic.

Have you noticed whether mornings or evenings are worse for you, or is it still completely random?

library parking lot is elite-level betrayal. Mine hit in a hotel elevator with a bellman and my suitcase, so now I do bathroom reconnaissance like it’s my job: lobby restroom, nearest coffee shop, gate-side one before boarding.

I also keep a tiny “oh no” pouch in my backpack—wipes, spare underwear, and dog poop bags for the truly cursed moment. Not glamorous, but it buys me calm.

Sharp follow-up: does yours cluster around first coffee/breakfast, or is it truly random? I’m trying to figure out if mine is timed or just feral.