Managing your time — and making sure you’re not late for every appointment or deadline — is extra tricky when you have ADHD.
That’s often due to something called “time blindness.” Common among people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ― though anyone can experience it ― time blindness makes it hard to accurately perceive, track or estimate the passage of time. It helps explain why some of us are chronically late, put off deadlines or come across as disorganized, even when we’re trying our best.
It’s not a matter of poor discipline; it’s a cognitive difference that’s frustrating as all get out, according to those affected by it.
“For me, time blindness with ADHD is a disconnect between knowing time exists and actually feeling how quickly it’s passing in the moment,” said Hannah Mayuski, a social media marketer and the founder of San Miguel Creative.
Mayuski has to work overtime to compensate for her time blindness. If she has an appointment at 11 a.m., she has to mentally walk everything backward first: She’ll check her GPS to estimate how long the drive is, adding in some cushion time to be safe.
