The ADHD Brain and Time
We're always late! We're always early! Which one are you?
If you have ADHD, chances are your relationship with time feels... complicated. Or maybe nonexistent? Time for an ADHDer is usually broken down into two times - “now” or “not now.” Time blindness, a common ADHD trait, can lead to being chronically late—or paradoxically, way too early. It’s not that we’re indifferent to time; we just experience it differently.
I am fortunate in that my particular version of time blindness comes from such a strong aversion to being late, so I will leave for meetings ridiculously early. I will show up to a movie 45 minutes before it starts. I will arrive to our lunch 30 minutes early and sit in my car. To my credit, though, I live in Los Angeles and traffic sucks..always!
The Timer: A Game-Changer for ADHD Time Blindness
For ADHD brains, one of the simplest and most effective tools for understanding and managing time is a timer. It’s not just a tool; it’s a reality check. If you listen to the ADHD Big Brother podcast, I’m sure there are easily 50 episodes where I’m declaring my love of the timer.
Imagine this: the dishes are piling up, and you’re overwhelmed just thinking about tackling them. Your ADHD brain tells you it’ll take forever. But when you set a 10-minute timer and commit to just starting, magic happens. In those 10 minutes, you might find you’ve washed half the dishes—or all of them! That timer transforms “eternity” into a manageable chunk of time.
Timers aren’t just for chores. They’re invaluable for:
Task initiation: Getting started on daunting projects.
Time awareness: Keeping track of how long tasks actually take.
Breaks: Ensuring you step away and recharge without losing the day.
Timers create structure in a way that ADHD brains can actually follow. They help us shift from “I’ll get to it later” to “I can do this for 10 minutes.”
Time and Accountability: A Winning Combination
While timers are excellent for self-awareness, external structures like accountability can supercharge your time management. This is where tools like the ADHD Big Brother community’s body double room and daily accountability club come in.
Body Doubling and Time Awareness
The 24/7 body double room lets you work “alongside” someone virtually, using their presence as a motivator to stay on task. When paired with a timer, it’s a game-changer. For example, you might say, “I’m setting a 20-minute timer to tackle my inbox. Let’s check in when it’s done.” Knowing someone is there to witness your effort helps focus your ADHD brain on the task at hand. Now think about saying to yourself, “I’m here by myself and I’m going to work on tackling my inbox”...no lasso on time, just the concept of ‘until it’s done.’ This takes a doable task and turns it into a monumental struggle.Daily Accountability and Time Anchors
The daily accountability club creates a routine where you check in with your goals. This acts as a time anchor, grounding your tasks to specific moments of the day. For instance, setting a goal during morning check-in to spend 15 minutes organizing your workspace makes it easier to follow through. Additionally, we often forget the things we say we are going to work on, even though our intentions are good. Anchoring to a daily accountability check-in helps us shorten the time gap between intention and action.
The Big Picture
Time blindness doesn’t have to control your life. By combining tools like timers with external accountability structures, you can take charge of your time in ways that feel manageable—and even fun. I’m not just an ADHD coach, I’m also an ADHDer dealing with my own time blindness. And making things fun always helps me! And if you are like me, you might still show up early sometimes…no biggie. And if you are showing up late and getting in trouble, then you can start putting in the necessary scaffolding to manage that aspect of your ADHD. (And feel free to reach out if you need help with that)
So the next time you feel overwhelmed by the clock, grab a timer and give yourself permission to start small. You’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in just 10 minutes. Here’s an article I wrote on how I gamified by 10 minute timers and got a massive amount done! And if you need a little extra help staying on track, know that there’s a community ready to cheer you on, one timed task at a time.
I’m curious, what is your ADHD experience with time blindness? Are you an always early or an always late type?