Ever feel like time just disappears?

One moment you’re checking the clock… the next, you’re rushing out the door, already late. Or maybe you’re the opposite, turning up 45 minutes early just to avoid the stress of being late again!

If you miss appointments unless they’re written down, forget deadlines even when they seem important, or feel like alarms and reminders barely make a dent… you’re not alone.

This might be something called time blindness, and it’s a common part of ADHD.

What Is Time Blindness?

Time blindness means your brain struggles to sense and manage time the way others do. It’s not about laziness or carelessness. It’s about how the brain is wired.

You plan to start getting ready. You mean to make that call. You sit down to answer one email. Then suddenly hours are gone.

This can be frustrating and isolating, especially when others don’t understand what’s going on behind the scenes.

So Why Does This Happen?

ADHD affects something called executive functioning. That’s your brain’s ability to plan, stay focused, manage impulses, and keep track of time.

ADHD expert Dr. Russell Barkley explains that time blindness is closely linked to:

• Impulse control – You act in the moment, not always thinking ahead
• Motivation – Tasks feel impossible to start unless the deadline is right now
• Planning – It’s tough to picture the future and prepare for it
• Organising behaviour over time – Doing things today for a payoff tomorrow?