Time Warp: Living with ADHD Time Blindness

As a mental health therapist, I often hear patients discuss their frustration with ADHD symptoms. There are the typical challenges, such as with organization and attention span, but another common, yet perhaps not as talked about symptom is time blindness. 

What Does Time Blindness Feel Like?

People who experience this often report difficulty estimating how long a task will take, how much time they need to prepare for the task, they also may get lost in tasks that they enjoy (i.e. suddenly losing three hours of the day when focused on an engaging puzzle). Others also experience anxiety about upcoming appointments out of fear that they will get side tracked and then miss the appointment. It can be a truly frustrating experience for those who have time blindness as well as the people around them. 

We’ve likely all been on the receiving end of waiting around for someone who is perpetually late. Something important to note is that it is not an intentional disregard for others' time, it truly is a function of how the ADHD brain works differently than one without ADHD. The good news is, there are ways to combat it.

Dopamine Levels Play a Role in Time Blindness

When we look at the neurological differences in a brain with ADHD, research shows us that the chemical signal, dopamine, is both disrupted and often at lower levels.¹ Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that affects attention, learning, memory, and time perception. When dopamine levels are low, it can make it more challenging to concentrate and keep track of time.¹

Dopamine is also connected to the default mode network of the brain, essentially the system of brain networks that is responsible when the brain is wandering and not focused on the outside world. For those with ADHD, it may be more difficult to direct attention because their default mode network is overactive, so a part of their brain is still wandering, even when they’re trying to focus.²

This neurological difference can make it difficult to switch from automatic attention to directed attention. Patients have often described this experience to me as “constant chatter” in their brain. And for those of us without ADHD, we can only imagine how distracting it would be to have constant chatter when trying to plan and organize.

Strategies and Tools to Help with Time Blindness

It can be disruptive to miss deadlines, perpetually run late, feel stressed about missing appointments, and misestimate how long it will take to do something. But there are strategies to help with this, as well as therapy and medications.

Technology

Many of the patients I see in therapy utilize technology to help them stay on track with time. Some might use alarms on their phone or a smart home system (i.e. Alexa, Google, etc.). It can be helpful to set alarms to wrap up an activity, as well as using 30 or 60 minute timers to help monitor time passing. Another way of using technology is through app timeout functions, you simply go into your phone’s settings and set time limits for how long you can be on any particular app. 

Music Playlists

Music playlists are another tool that can be helpful in managing time. For instance, creating a 15 minute playlist for when you’re in the shower can help you recognize when it’s time to get out. 

Strategically Planning Your Day

Others plan their days strategically, such as making appointments earlier in the day so they’re not “frozen” waiting around for it to come all day. It can also be helpful to include automatic “time buffers,” such as adding 15-20 minutes when you’re estimating how long something will take you. 

Although living with ADHD can be challenging, there are many ways to successfully live your life. Finding systems that work for you can make time feel more manageable. As providers or loved ones who care for someone with ADHD, it’s important to offer understanding and support as they navigate to find what helps their brain function best.

References

1 https://add.org/adhd-time-blindness/

2 https://laconciergepsychologist.com/blog/default-mode-network-adhd/