Time Blindness with ADHD: When Your Clock is Ticking but Your Brain is Sticking

Have you ever heard of "time blindness"? No, it's not a superpower that lets you travel through time like Doctor Who. It's a phenomenon where people with ADHD struggle to perceive and manage time effectively.

Think of it as having a clock that always runs slow, except it's not the clock that's the problem, it's your brain. It's like trying to drive a car with faulty brakes - you can still get to your destination, but it's going to take a lot longer and be a bumpy ride.

But, why do people with ADHD experience this time blindness? Well, it all boils down to brain chemistry. ADHD affects the production and regulation of neurotransmitters, including dopamine and norepinephrine, which play a crucial role in our perception of time.

So, what does this mean in practical terms? Well, for starters, you may find yourself consistently running late for appointments, meetings, and social events. You may also struggle with time management, finding it difficult to prioritize tasks and stick to a schedule.

But, the good news is, with a little effort, you can learn to manage your time blindness and lead a more productive and organized life. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Use a planner - write down appointments, meetings, and to-do items, and refer to it regularly. Some people prefer a portable physical planner book. There's something special about hand-writing vs typing it that seems to help with memory. On the other side of the coin, others prefer to utilize their phones' Calendar. However, both of those options for me fall into the category of "out of sight, out of mind" (See my blog post on that later in the series.) so I legit bought a 4x8 foot marker board sticker for my bedroom wall. No chance of THAT THING being out of sight, lol.

Set reminders - use your phone or computer to set reminders for important tasks. A great ADHD life hack I use is to use my iphone's Location Reminders. Need to get batteries for that old Gameboy you found? "Hey siri, remind me to buy AA Batteries next time I'm at Walmart". Boom, it's that simple. Next time you roll into wally world parking lot, your phone will have your back so you can get started catching the original 151 all over again! (Why, Bulbasaur was my starter, thanks for asking!)

Prioritize - prioritize your tasks based on importance and deadline. Our ADHD brains have a difficult time prioritizing our to-do list on the fly, so writing it all out is a MUST. I pay for an app with my iPhone called PiCal. It gives you a nice little pi chart of all your tasks and the time remaining to complete them. It is SUPER helpful to keep me straight on what's most important to focus on at the time.

Take breaks - taking regular breaks can help refocus your attention and improve your ability to manage time. It's much more productive to break down tasks and give yourself rewards. "I'm going to clean for a SOLID 25 minutes, but then I get to take a 10-minute meme break." Our brains love rewards AND they thrive with deadlines so it's a nice little dopamine-kick trick and I guarantee you'll get more done in that 20 minutes than forcing yourself to clean the full 35.

Seek support - don't just talk to your buddy steve or yo momma, they may love you and genuinely want to help, but unless they themselves have ADHD and are on top of their game, they can only do so much morale cheerleading before you need ACTUAL action steps to put an end to your ADHD frustration. talk to a professional or join a support group for people with ADHD to learn from others who have been in your shoes. Click here if you are ready to chat with me to help build a custom life plan. Don't sleep on our community help either! Make sure to join our inclusive and safe-space Discord 80HD CLUB.

In conclusion, time blindness with ADHD can be a real struggle, but with a little effort and a lot of determination, you can learn to manage it and lead a more productive life. Just remember, it's not about having more time, it's about making the most of the time you have. So, let's get ticking!