Never on time? You may have little-known condition, say psychologists

Do you constantly miss appointments and are you late for everything?

Have you had to embrace being “fashionably late” for events when in fact you just forgot they were happening?

While people may disapprove of 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 recognize 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 often run to the bus, miss deadlines, or think a task will take you ten minutes when you actually do it twice.

If you do not know that you are time blind, these symptoms can make your daily life difficult, for example your employers may think that you do not take your work seriously

Or you may fall victim to the exact opposite effect and find yourself showing up for an event three hours before it’s supposed to start.

The phenomenon is not defined as a medical condition as such, but doctors use it as a way to talk about the concept of losing track of time.

Time blindness is also a common symptom of ADHD.

Smriti Joshi, chief psychologist at mental health AI chatbot Wysa told MailOnline, “Many of the factors associated with ADHD, such as problems with 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 lead to time blindness and feelings of dissociation in childhood or later in life, according to Sue Smith, psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

According to experts, anyone can become time blind and it could be a result of childhood trauma or related to ADHD

According to Mr. Common, the most common symptoms of time blindness are:

• Regularly lose track of time
• An inability to keep appointments or keep to schedules
• Repeatedly missing deadlines
• Daydreaming
• Feeling engrossed in a task or as if nothing else matters
• Not being able to be there to do anything other than the task you are doing
• Over-promising on what you can reasonably deliver
• The feeling of being stuck in the present
• Postpone things

Ms Smith added: ‘Symptoms can range from total absorption in an activity to the opposite, from total distraction, say starting five jobs at once and becoming overwhelmed by the chaos.’

Unfortunately, if you don’t know you have time blindness, these symptoms can cause problems in your daily life.

Mr Common warned that time blindness could be mistaken for laziness or stupidity. He said, “Employers may think you’re not interested in the job or aren’t taking it seriously.”

Relationships can also suffer if you struggle to engage with friends and family priorities, as this can be mistaken for being selfish or self-centered.

He added that children suffering from time blindness could be confused with intellectual or learning disabilities.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can manage your symptoms.

Ms. Joshi suggested charting your daily life and using visual aids, such as timers and alarms, to remind yourself of upcoming tasks.

To help with time blindness, tell your friends and family about the condition and ask them to ask 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 on the present.

If you’re struggling with time blindness, you should reach out to your support network for help.

Friends of family who know about your condition can help you keep track of the time and even alert you to 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 counseling psychologist and co-founder of the Chelsea Psychology Clinic in London, suggested being compassionate about their struggles.

She said, “While it can be frustrating, remind yourself that time blindness can be a real challenge and don’t be overly critical.”

However, she added that if they are struggling, you should guide them to expert help and perhaps suggest they seek help from a therapist who specializes in ADHD.

Mr Common also said the best way to support someone with time blindness is to be compassionate and promote self-compassion.

He added, “For children with ADHD, consider creating a schedule together. Being there to help them prepare and stick to a schedule, looking after their interests but not allowing them to catch up with everything else, and using visible and clear reminders can also be helpful.”