Use it - lose it - reclaim it!

Understanding Skill Erosion

Have you ever:

• found yourself struggling with a language you once spoke fluently?

• lost the skills necessary to do sport you were quite good at?

When you used to navigate conversations effortlessly, but now you're fumbling for words. Or if you were able to push yourself up with easy and now it feels like your arms don't have any strength in them.

Like body muscles, our 'brain muscles,' or 'language muscles' must also be used in order not to lose them. But don't worry if you seem to have lost them. They can be reclaimed ☺️

The brain connection

Yes, it’s humbling to feel like a beginner again. However, the brain doesn't "delete" when you've learned. Instead - whether it's language, muscles, or any skill, it shortens unused connections. So the good news is that with intention and repetition, you can rebuild all types of 'muscles.' And often faster and more efficiently than before, because your brain has previously already walked that path.

In neurodivergent individuals—such as those with ADHD/ADD, autism, dyslexia, or who are highly gifted—the brain manages attention, motivation and memory differently; this affects how they learn, store, retrieve, and sustain skills. What might look like “losing” a skill is often just an offline network—one that can be reactivated with the right invitation.

ADHD: Fast starts, inconsistent follow-through

ADHD brains often build skills quickly during bursts of hyperfocus, but dopamine fluctuations make it hard to sustain attention or motivation when the novelty fades.

• You may have learned deeply, but without repetition, the skill fades from active access.

• Reentry is often unlocked by urgency, movement, novelty, or external accountability.

So: the skill is there—it just needs a more engaging "on-switch."

Autism: Deep, structured pathways tied to interest and routine

Autistic brains often develop intensely focused, detailed pathways—especially around personal interests or structured routines. These skills can be encyclopedic in depth.

• If the routine or context that supported that learning changes, the skill can feel out of reach.

• Reengagement usually works best with clarity, patterns, and emotional safety.

So: the knowledge remains, but the access point may have shifted.

Highly Gifted: Quick learning, less repetition

Gifted individuals often form broad and abstract cognitive connections rapidly, often intuiting what others need to learn step by step. This can lead to deep early mastery, but fewer retrieval "anchors." They may also have asynchronous development—being advanced in one area and less developed in another—which can make re-learning feel frustrating or emotionally loaded.

• Skills fade not because they weren’t learned, but because they weren’t reinforced.

• Rebuilding usually just needs a spark of challenge or depth—the brain still has the map.

So: you didn’t forget—you just never needed to use the scaffolding others relied on.

Dyslexia: Strengths in pattern and big picture, challenges in retrieval

Dyslexic individuals often have brains that are stronger in visual, spatial, and narrative reasoning, but process written language and phonological decoding differently. However, once dyslexics learn something through multisensory or meaning-rich methods, they retain it deeply—even if accessing that knowledge (especially in writing) takes extra effort.

• You might fully understand a concept but struggle with retrieving or expressing it fluently, especially under pressure.

• Skills may feel lost when they’ve been encoded in a way that doesn’t match your strongest processing style.

So: the skill is there—it may just need a different doorway.

Highly Sensitive People (HSPs): Deep processing, vulnerable to overwhelm

HSPs take in and process information deeply, especially in emotionally or sensory-rich environments.

• When a skill was learned under stress, overwhelm, or social pressure, it may become emotionally “tagged”, making your brain hesitant to revisit it.

• Relearning works best in quiet, emotionally safe settings, where pacing and self-compassion are prioritized.

So: if it felt like too much then, your brain might have tucked it away until it feels safe again.

Tips:

Reclaiming language

When you learn a new language, your brain forms specific neural pathways to handle vocabulary, grammar, and even cultural context. When you stop using a language, those pathways don’t disappear—they just weaken. The connections become slower. You’re not starting over—you’re reawakening a system that’s just been sleeping.

• Start with passive re-exposure: listening & reading

• Set a routine: expose yourself to the language on a daily basis

• Make sure it is fun: listen to podcasts or movies you enjoy

Rebuilding body muscle

When you stop training, muscles atrophy, and flexibility declines, but the brain’s motor pathways stay. They get “dusty,” but they remember. This is why you often regain strength and flexibility faster the second time around: your brain already knows the blueprint.

• Focus on the habit, not the intensity (start slow)

• Include flexibility exercises (like yoga or stretching) to rebuild neuromuscular coordination

• Follow your pace (don't start competing before you have reached your level of comfort)

The key to improvement lies in commitment and practice.