Hmm, I find that our ability to stay on top of normal stuff has an inverse relationship with the amount of stress and dissociation we experience too. We have been spending an astronomical amount on food lately for this very reason. I purchase food for making meals all week and then... it all falls apart because of dissociation. Sleep also goes awry, mostly because of the ever present panic about time.
We have a lot of external responsibilities that fall by the wayside, night after night. The plan is there but then I blink and the evening has gone and nothing has been done. I hear what you are saying about 'processing time'. We too need that, and there simply aren't enough hours in the day. When we were in proper therapy we used to stay up until 3-4 am every night, then get up for a full days work at 7. We needed that time more than we needed to sleep. There was just never enough time!!

I guess one way of looking at it is this need for processing and healing won't be forever. It needs to happen. It finds a way to make itself happen. And when it doesn't need to happen anymore... it won't.