Never on time? You may have little-known condition, say psychologists
- If you often lose track of time, doctors say you could have time blindness
- Doctors have linked the phenomenon to ADHD, but say it could affect anyone
- Here are the common symptoms of time blindness and how to manage them
Are you constantly missing appointments and running late for everything?
Have you had to embrace being ‘fashionably late’ to events, when, in fact, you just forgot they were happening?
While people may snub you for being lazy or rude, you could be suffering from a little-known condition known as time blindness.
It refers to the inability to recognise when time has passed or estimate how long a task may take, according to Robert Common, a qualified psychologist and mental health expert.
As a result, you may frequently find yourself running for the bus, failing to meet deadlines or thinking a task will take you ten minutes to complete when it will actually take you double.
According to experts, time blindness refers to the inability to recognise when time has passed or estimate how long a task may take
If you are unaware that you have time blindness, these symptoms could pose difficulties to your daily life, for example your employers may not think you are taking your job seriously
Or, you could be a victim of the exact opposite effect and find yourself turning up for an event three hours before it is supposed to start.
The phenomenon is not defined as a medical condition as such, but doctors use it as a way of talking about the concept of losing track of time.
Time blindness is also a common symptom of ADHD.
Smriti Joshi, lead psychologist at AI mental health chatbot Wysa told MailOnline: ‘Many of the factors associated with ADHD, such as difficulties in working memory and attention regulation, can contribute to a distorted sense of time.’
But this doesn’t mean you have to have ADHD to experience time blindness, as anyone can suffer from the phenomenon.
Early childhood trauma can also result in time blindness and feelings of dissociation as a child or later in life, according to Sue Smith, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
According to experts, anyone can get time blindness and it may be a result of trauma in your childhood or linked to ADHD
According to Mr Common, the common symptoms of time blindness include:
- Regularly losing track of time
- An inability to meet appointments or keep to schedules
- Repeatedly missing deadlines
- Daydreaming
- Feeling engrossed in a task or like nothing else matters
- Being unable to attend to do anything other than the task you are doing
- Overpromising on what you can reasonably deliver
- Feeling stuck in the present
- Putting things off
Ms Smith added: ‘Symptoms can range from a total absorption in an activity, to the polar opposite, of utter distraction, for example starting five jobs at once and becoming overwhelmed with the chaos.’
Unfortunately, if you are unaware that you have time blindness, these symptoms could pose difficulties to your daily life.
Mr Common warned that time blindness could be mistaken for laziness or stupidity. He said: ‘Employers may believe that you are not invested in the job or not taking it seriously,’ he said.
Relationships might also suffer if you struggle to keep task with the priorities of friends and family because this can be mistaken for being selfish or self-absorbed.’
He added that children who suffer from time blindness could be confused with having intellectual or learning difficulties.
Luckily, there are several ways you can manage your symptoms.
Ms Joshi suggested mapping out your daily life and using visual aids, such as timers and alarms, to remind yourself of upcoming tasks.
To help with time blindness, you can should tell your friends and family of the condition and ask them to prompt you to attend important meetings or events
All experts noted that practicing mindfulness is a good way to combat time blindness, as it can help ground you and focus your attention more to the present.
If you’re struggling with time blindness, you should reach out to your support network for help.
Friends of family who are aware of your condition can help you keep track of time and even prompt you before an important meeting, such as a hospital appointment or a job interview.
And, if someone you care about is suffering from the condition, Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of the Chelsea Psychology Clinic in London, suggested being compassionate to their struggle.
She said: ‘While it can be frustrating, remind yourself that time blindness can be a real challenge and avoid being overly critical.’
However, she added if they are struggling then you should guide them towards expert help and perhaps suggest they seek out support from a therapist who specialises in ADHD.
Mr Common also said that the best way to support someone with time blindness is to be compassionate and promote self-compassion.
He added: ‘For children with ADHD, consider co-creating a schedule. Being there to help them get ready and stick to a schedule, promoting their interests but not allowing them to overtake everything else, and using visible and clear reminders can also be helpful.’
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