Lost in Time? Understanding Time Blindness and How to Manage It
Have you ever sat down to check one email and suddenly realized two hours have passed? Or promised yourself you'd leave the house in five minutes... only to be 20 minutes late and not even sure why? If this sounds familiar, you're not lazy or broken — you may be experiencing time blindness, a common executive functioning challenge.
As a therapist who specializes in ADHD and executive functioning, I work with highly capable adults who feel constantly overwhelmed, disorganized, and frustrated by their relationship with time. You’re not alone — and there are tools that can help.
What Is Time Blindness?
Time blindness is a term used to describe difficulty perceiving, estimating, or managing the passage of time. It’s not about poor time management skills; it’s about how your brain processes time differently.
People with time blindness often:
Underestimate or overestimate how long tasks take
Forget upcoming appointments or deadlines
Lose track of time completely while doing “just one more thing”
Struggle to transition between tasks — especially when going from preferred to non-preferred activities
Why It Happens
Time blindness is often tied to executive dysfunction — the brain’s “management system” that oversees planning, prioritizing, initiating, and completing tasks. When your executive functioning is impacted (whether by ADHD, stress, trauma, or burnout), time becomes abstract. You might live in “now” and “not now,” making planning and pacing feel almost impossible.
🛠️ Practical Strategies for Managing Time Blindness
Let’s shift from frustration to action. Here are some realistic, therapist-approved strategies that can help:
1. Externalize Time
Your brain may not track time well internally, so bring it outside your head:
Use visual timers (Time Timer, hourglass, Pomodoro apps)
Place analog clocks where you work — they give a better sense of passing time than digital ones
Set multiple alarms or reminders with labels (e.g., “Wrap up task” or “Leave in 5 minutes”)
2. Create Anchors in Your Day
Set predictable start and stop points:
Morning and evening routines can act as boundaries
Use meals, breaks, or transitions (like school pick-up or meetings) as time anchors to structure your day
3. Plan Backward
Instead of planning from the start of the day forward, try planning backward from when something is due or when you need to leave. Add buffer time. Example:
Need to leave at 3:00 PM?
Plan to stop working at 2:40
Start your transition routine at 2:30 (bathroom, grab things, coat, etc.)
4. Break Time into Chunks
Divide your day into 2- or 3-hour blocks. Within each, choose 1–3 tasks max. This helps prevent over-scheduling and keeps expectations realistic.
5. Practice “Time-Tracking” Without Judgment
Try logging what you actually do for a few days — just as data, not for shame. You might discover time leaks you didn’t expect (scrolling, redoing tasks, transition lag). Awareness brings clarity, not criticism.
Final Thoughts
Time blindness can feel defeating, especially when it leads to missed deadlines, broken trust, or self-criticism. But with the right tools — and some compassionate self-understanding — it can be managed. Your brain isn’t failing you; it just needs structure, support, and a bit of external scaffolding.
If you’re ready to build a better relationship with time, I’d love to help.