be on automatic pilot

be on automatic pilot

To function or do something automatically, without thinking about one's actions, generally because one has done something many times in the past. Also used in the shortened form, "be on autopilot." By the second week of data entry, I felt like I was on automatic pilot. Making bottles, changing diapers, and putting the baby to sleep were all challenging at first, but now I feel like I'm on automatic pilot when I do it. Sometimes I arrive at work without remembering how I got there, like I was on automatic pilot the whole time.See also: automatic, on, pilot

be on ˌautomatic ˈpilot

do something without thinking because you have done the same thing many times before: I got up and dressed on automatic pilot.The automatic pilot is the device in an aircraft that keeps it on a fixed course without the need for a person to control it. It is often shortened to ‘autopilot’: I did the journey on autopilot.See also: automatic, on, pilot