Buzz
Do you find yourself running late despite your best efforts? Is losing track of time becoming a routine? The culprit may be time blindness, but don't worry—there are strategies to help you stay on track and keep to your schedule.
What exactly is time blindness?
Time blindness isn’t just about poor organization. As Ari Tuckman, a Pennsylvania-based psychologist specializing in ADHD, puts it, ‘There are some people whose sense of time is slipperier and fuzzier.’ Those with time blindness may struggle to accurately perceive the passage of time, with a faulty internal clock. They may either underestimate or overestimate how long tasks will take, resulting in frequent lateness or, in some cases, an urge to be overly early. The root cause remains the same, though the consequences can differ.
As Stephanie Sarkis, a Florida-based psychotherapist, puts it, ‘In life, timing is everything.’ When your timing is off, it can cause chaos. Being perpetually late can bring about numerous negative outcomes, including missed flights, damaged relationships, and even job loss. On the flip side, those who overcompensate by arriving early often waste time and experience anxiety over the fear of being late.
Time blindness can either be a natural trait or triggered by specific situations.
Time blindness is a common symptom linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it’s not exclusive to those with ADHD. Ari Tuckman, an expert in ADHD, explains, ‘Some people are simply bad with time, even without ADHD.’ Human abilities vary on a spectrum—some people excel at estimating time, some struggle, and most fall somewhere in between.
Time blindness can also be situational. For example, during a relaxing vacation, you might forget what day it is—that’s a temporary form of time blindness that fades once you return to your usual routine. Stress, anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and substance abuse can also trigger time blindness. As Tuckman notes, ‘Time is a cognitive ability, and anything that affects your cognitive abilities can disrupt your sense of time.’
Strategies to manage time blindness.
The common advice for punctuality—just wake up an hour earlier!—assumes that a person can accurately gauge time. For those with time blindness, this suggestion often falls short. Even when they make their best efforts to estimate how long something will take, their guesses are frequently inaccurate, and there's no predictable pattern to the degree of error. As Sarkis explains, ‘It’s an incorrect estimate, but sometimes it’s too late and sometimes it’s too early.’ The inconsistency is key.
If you feel your sense of time is off, whether due to a disorder like ADHD or a temporary stressor, there are strategies that can help you manage the situation:
Pinpoint the underlying cause.
Arriving on time involves managing multiple factors that many people don’t typically consider—like estimating how long things will take, making the necessary preparations, and planning for unexpected delays (such as heavy traffic or a late bus). People with time blindness may struggle with any or all of these aspects, making punctuality more challenging.
As Tuckman advises, ‘It’s important to understand exactly why something is happening, so that you know how to target your intervention.’ Some individuals may make time estimates based on ideal conditions, ignoring potential obstacles like rush hour traffic. Others might overlook the need for preparation, while some may habitually misplace essential items like their keys or wallet, causing panic each time they need to leave. All of these factors can accumulate.
As Tuckman explains, ‘[Identifying] where things are breaking down is the first step, before throwing generic solutions at the problem.’
Visual cues, such as analog clocks, can be beneficial.
A useful method to track time is by keeping an analog clock within clear sight, whether it’s a wall clock or a wristwatch. The benefit of an analog clock over a digital one is that the moving hour and minute hands provide a tangible visual representation of time passing and how much time is left.
For instance, if you need to leave at 2:00 PM and the clock shows 1:30, the visual difference clearly indicates that you have 30 minutes left. In contrast, a digital clock offers a more abstract concept of time. As Tuckman puts it, ‘[Analog clocks] are more tangible; you can see the progression of time.’
Overall, such visual cues help make the concept of time feel more concrete.
Find someone to hold you accountable.
For crucial deadlines, like arriving on time for a job interview, having an accountability partner can make a difference. This might be as simple as asking a friend to send you a reminder text when it’s time to start getting ready. As Sarkis says, ‘When your friend [texts you], you’re going to look at it, because we always look at text messages.’
Other ways an accountability partner can help include assisting with the planning needed to meet the deadline for a big project or offering a gentle reminder about an important task.
Make a habit of actively managing your time.
People with time blindness often find it difficult to identify how they spend their time. Whether it’s getting lost in social media, underestimating how long tasks will take, or missing important parts of a task, the time adds up. Tuckman advises building awareness and intentionality about how and where you spend your time.
As Tuckman explains, 'Time management often begins with distraction management, or temptation management.' This could mean using tools like internet blockers or actively tracking how much time you spend on specific tasks. It’s important to have a clear understanding of what you're doing and how long it takes. This is crucial for anyone with a packed schedule, but it becomes even more essential for those with time blindness, who may find it harder to keep up with daily tasks.
There is no simple solution for inherent time blindness, and it requires coping mechanisms that focus on compensation. For those whose time blindness is caused by ADHD, medication can be very effective, as the condition is often linked to low levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. As Sarkis says, 'This is a neurobiological disorder. You wouldn’t blame someone with diabetes for having issues with insulin.'
