What Is Time Blindness? And Could It Be Behind Some of Your Habits?

 

What Is Time Blindness? And Could It Be Behind Some of Your Habits?

Have you ever sat down “just for a minute,” only to look up and realise hours have passed? Or lit a cigarette, only to light another one minutes later, not realising how little time had gone by? If that sounds familiar, you might be experiencing something known as time blindness.

What Is Time Blindness?

Time blindness is a common experience for many people, especially those with ADHD, autism, or executive functioning challenges. It’s when you struggle to feel or track the passing of time. This can affect both short bursts, like minutes and hours, and longer stretches like days, weeks, or even years.

The tricky part is that if you’ve always experienced time this way, you might not realise there’s anything unusual about it. It just feels like how life works. That’s why many people don’t recognise it, even though it can shape their routines, habits, and daily struggles.

Everyday Signs of Time Blindness

Time blindness shows up in all sorts of ways. Here are some examples that might sound familiar:

Habits and Routines

Lighting one cigarette and then another, unaware that only a few minutes have passed.

Drinking several cups of tea or coffee close together without realising.

Taking a two-minute shower or a forty-minute one, and being equally surprised by the outcome.

Sitting down “for a moment” and realising later that hours have flown by.

Thinking you can leave the house in five minutes, then realising you need at least twenty-five.

Forgetting to eat or take medication, not because you didn’t want to, but because you didn’t notice time passing.

Time and Productivity

Saying “I’ll do it later” but later never seems to come, or it arrives too late.

Always running behind, even though you’re genuinely trying to stay on track.

Doing everything in a rush at the last possible moment because time disappeared on you.

Getting stuck on one small part of a task and not finishing the rest.

Avoiding a task completely because you can't tell how long it will take.

Larger Time Patterns

Feeling shocked when you look at the calendar and realise the month has changed.

Thinking something happened recently when it was actually a year ago, or the other way around.

Missing important dates, appointments, or events simply because time didn’t register.

Why Time Blindness Matters

Time blindness can lead to frustration, confusion, and self-blame. You might catch yourself thinking:

"I don’t know why I keep doing this."

"I thought I had more time."

"I didn’t even realise how late it was."

"I’m always behind, no matter what I do."

These thoughts can be discouraging. But they aren’t signs of laziness or failure. They are signs that your brain experiences time differently. When you understand that, you can start to find ways to support yourself.

What Helps

Recognising that time blindness is happening is the first step. Once you have that awareness, you can begin to create structure that doesn’t rely on your internal sense of time.

Try External Time Cues

Use visual timers that show the passing of time clearly.

Set alarms throughout the day to act as gentle nudges.

Use reminders that come with actions, like standing up to stretch or taking a short walk.

Anchor Time With Routine

Create physical cues that mark time. You might light a certain candle at a specific time of day or go for a walk after eating lunch.

Track your habits to spot patterns. Do you smoke more when you're bored, anxious, or lacking structure?

Replace the Habit Loop

If you're chain smoking, doomscrolling, or pacing the room to manage restlessness, try offering your body something else. That could be deep breathing, a sensory activity, calming music, or simply changing environments.

Treat yourself with patience. These habits often start because your brain is trying to create comfort or rhythm where there is none.

In Summary

Time blindness is very real, and it affects many areas of daily life. It can influence everything from how we manage our health to how we organise our time and maintain relationships. But once you understand it, you can begin to work with your brain, not against it.

You are not lazy. You are not disorganised. You just experience time differently. And that is something you can navigate with the right support and strategies.