The Time Trap: How To Break Free From Time Blindness And Boost Your Efficiency

Time blindness, also known as temporal disorientation, is a cognitive condition that affects one's ability to accurately perceive the passing of time and estimate how long tasks or activities will take. Although it is not considered a diagnosable medical condition, it poses challenges in terms of punctuality and planning. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are particularly susceptible to experiencing time blindness as well as those who may be grieving, stressed or sleep-deprived.

Imagine this scenario: you have a busy day ahead with a long list of tasks to complete, and you find yourself constantly underestimating how long each task will take. Before you know it, time has slipped away and you're left struggling to catch up. Sound familiar? If it does, you’re not alone.  It's likely that at some point, we have all experienced this cognitive condition.

We all have some sense of time…This ability to see and be aware of time, it's a human ability that's on a spectrum. Some people are really good; some people are not as good. - Ari Tuckman, Psychologist and ADHD specialist

Do you wonder if you’ve been experiencing time blindness? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Are you chronically late for meetings and activities?  You feel bad about it but equally helpless on how to change it?

• Do you find that you procrastinate because you just can’t align the task you want to get done with how much time you have and it’s very confusing to you?

• Have you ever gotten lost in an activity and forgot about other things going on?  Maybe you label that as being creative and being in the flow.  You would be right.  Unless, you are missing planned activities that you need to get done because you’re so caught up in something else.

If you find yourself answering "yes" to any of the aforementioned statements, chances are you are experiencing time blindness. So, how exactly does one go about managing it? Well, here are three practical suggestions that might just do the trick:

First, consider setting additional alarms and timers.

Timers can be incredibly useful when it comes to allocating specific time slots for different activities. On the other hand, alarms serve as helpful reminders, signaling the need to transition from one task to the next, thus preventing you from getting lost in the whirlwind of your day. The key is to implement different sounds for each alarm and timer to ensure that you don't become desensitized to their effects.

The second step is understanding the importance of visual calendars. When attempting to work from a mere task list while grappling with time blindness, it can quickly become an uphill battle. The frustration of estimating how much time each task will require can easily mount. Instead, invest some time in thoroughly examining your calendar.

By doing so, you'll gain a clearer understanding of where specific tasks or activities should be scheduled. Consider practicing time blocks or time batching to consolidate multiple activities into designated time slots. This approach will allow you to identify pockets of available time throughout your day, enabling you to add new tasks and activities more strategically.

A third suggestion is to break tasks down into more manageable pieces. Time blindness often rears its head when tackling complex, multifaceted projects without properly aligning your time allocation. By breaking down these projects into smaller, bite-sized chunks, you'll be able to assess your progress more efficiently. This approach will grant you a clearer picture of how long each task takes, as well as how much time you'll need for subsequent tasks. For some great tips on how to break down work projects into smaller pieces, check out this article from Arianna Bradford.

The key to combating time blindness lies in implementing these three suggestions. Whether it's setting more alarms and timers, utilizing visual calendars, or breaking tasks down into smaller pieces, adopting these strategies will help you regain control over your time and enhance your productivity. So why wait? Start implementing these techniques today and witness the positive impact they can have on your daily routine.