What Is Time Blindness?

If you are unable to recognize when time has passed or you frequently lose track of time, you may be experiencing time blindness. People with time blindness also often find it difficult to meet deadlines, arrive at events or appointments on time, or transition to a different task.

Although anyone can experience time blindness, it is most common among people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It's worth noting that time blindness is not considered an official diagnosis, but some researchers feel it should be included in the diagnostic criteria for the ADHD. While time blindness can make some aspects of life challenging, there are tips you can use to manage time more effectively.

Signs of Time Blindness

Most people want to meet deadlines, stick to a schedule, and show up on time. But those with time blindness have difficulty meeting these goals. This is not because they are lazy, irresponsible, or unmotivated. Instead, time blindness is the result of a genuine disconnect in their brains that makes it difficult to recognize the passage of time. If you find yourself losing track of time often, watch out for these symptoms:

• Feeling hyper-focused on a project and losing track of time
• Making impulsive decisions when feeling like you are losing track of time
• Struggling to develop or adhere to a schedule
• Procrastinating or putting off projects until the last minute
• Not organizing tasks in the right sequence
• Zeroing in on present and short-term gains without thinking long-term
• Being unproductive for a long time while waiting for an event that is still hours away
• Struggling to accurately estimate the amount of time that is needed for a task
• Having difficulty estimating the amount of time you previously spent on a project or activity
• Trouble estimating how long ago an event or activity occurred

Causes

While experts do not know the exact cause of time blindness, many speculate that it is related to how the brain processes subtle time changes and other sensory details. Several researchers believe that time blindness is often related to a variety of neurological conditions, such as ADHD, autism, and traumatic brain injuries.

When someone has time blindness, researchers theorize that it's due to their brain chemistry. For instance, the ability to perceive and estimate time is often linked to a lower level of activity in several areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that controls decision-making, memory, and speech, among other important functions). Medical conditions that disrupt dopamine levels (a chemical messenger in the brain) may also contribute to time blindness.

Diagnosis

Although time blindness is not a specific diagnosis or even recognized as a symptom of ADHD by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), researchers believe that it may be a key characteristic in people with ADHD.

In fact, some researchers have proposed that time blindness should be a part of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD—especially since people with ADHD perceive time so much differently than those without the condition. Some researchers have even suggested that it be included in the next revision of the DSM-5.

If your healthcare provider suspects that you have ADHD, or if you show symptoms of time blindness, they will likely refer you to a mental health provider who may conduct several assessments to make an official diagnosis. During testing, a mental health provider will look for at least five different symptoms or characteristics of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity in adults.

To make a diagnosis, your provider will use ADHD symptom checklists, behavior rating scales, and a detailed history of your overall functioning. Some providers may also assess your cognitive ability and academic achievement to rule out a learning disability.

Keep in mind: ADHD cannot be diagnosed accurately in one brief office visit, or by simply talking to the person or their family members. Instead, it requires a full diagnostic evaluation from a professional trained in identifying and treating ADHD, which can last several weeks.

Tips for Managing Time Blindness

Because time blindness can affect many areas of your life, it is important to find ways to manage your time more effectively—especially if you are having difficulty paying bills on time, picking your kids up from their activities, turning in school assignments, or completing work projects at their deadlines. Here are a few techniques you can try to help you better manage time blindness:

• Use reminders and alarms: Keep an electronic calendar that is synchronized across all of your devices. Then, set an alarm or timer when you need to start preparing for an activity or meeting. Consider giving yourself a time buffer, or an extra 30 minutes, to account for delays or getting sidetracked.
• Listen to music: Turn on instrumental background music when you are working or doing schoolwork. Research has shown that music can help people focus. But, for people with ADHD, it also can help them perceive time. Music may even cue your brain to track time while you are performing another task.
• Utilize the Pomodoro method: This time management tool breaks work into 25-minute chunks with five-minute breaks after the 25 minutes are over. After four work chunks, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. This approach to time management allows you to focus on the task at hand, but may also prevent hyper-focusing, which can lead to losing track of time.
• Help your brain recognize time: Consider setting timers or alarms that go off at fixed intervals (such as every 30 minutes) to help you learn how to gauge time better. You also can use a visual timer on your laptop or cell phone that shows how much time has passed since starting your task.
• Seek support: Whether you enlist the help of a coach to help you learn to manage your time or ask for help from a mental health provider trained in working with people with ADHD, the key is that you are getting some outside care. Additionally, there is some evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy (a popular type of talk therapy) may help improve the core symptoms of ADHD, including time blindness.

Living With Time Blindness

For people with time blindness, recognizing time or identifying how long things take is not always intuitive. For this reason, running late, arriving way too early (due to the fear of being late), procrastinating, missing deadlines, or overcommitting are all common occurrences.

In fact, researchers theorize that the internal clock that your body uses to keep track of time relies on your working memory. But if that does not function properly, keeping track of time becomes a challenge. This, in turn, can lead some people to speak negatively about themselves for not being able to manage time. People with ADHD, in particular, are more likely to engage in negative self-talk.

But all of this negative thinking comes with consequences. Too much negative self-talk can worsen and lead to depression, anxiety, or feelings of hopelessness. One study even found the risk of suicide was 30% greater for people with ADHD than those without the condition.

It also is not uncommon for people with ADHD or time blindness to have more job changes than others without the condition. Many times, these job losses occur because of poor time management skills, being chronically late, or missing project deadlines.

To help prevent these things from happening, the first step is to recognize that while your time blindness is not your fault, there are strategies you can implement that can help you manage time more effectively. It just takes some practice and determination to learn how to manage your condition. That's why it can help to lean on your loved ones for support and reach out to a mental health provider for professional tips. Doing so can help reduce your risk of negative consequences.

A Quick Review

Time blindness is the inability to recognize the passing of time. With time blindness, you might find it difficult to arrive at events on time, procrastinate on important projects, or fixate on one task and lose track of time while working on it. Having time blindness can significantly affect your life and the ability to stick to a schedule or routine. Fortunately, time management strategies and working with a mental health provider can help you manage time effectively and improve your quality of life.