I check the clock. 10 minutes left before I have to leave. Plenty of time, right?
Next thing I know, I’m deep in a random Wikipedia rabbit hole about how jellyfish don’t age… and suddenly, I should’ve left 15 minutes ago.
It’s not that I don’t care about being on time. It’s like my brain warps time itself—10 minutes feels like forever… until it’s suddenly gone. ADHD time blindness is no joke.
I’ve tried everything—alarms, reminders, even setting my clocks ahead. But somehow, my brain outsmarts all of them. I’ll see an alarm, acknowledge it, and then completely ignore it. Why does my brain do this?!
When I was younger, people just called me lazy. “Just be on time. It’s not that hard.” But for me, time isn’t something I naturally feel. It’s either “now” or “not now.” And “not now” always sneaks up on me.
One trick that actually helps? “Externalizing time.”
- I use a visual timer instead of just looking at a clock. Seeing time physically ticking down makes it more real.
- Setting alarms in a different room forces me to get up and move.
- Telling someone my deadline helps because now I feel accountable.
Still, I’m not perfect. But hey, at least now I’m only 5 minutes late instead of 20. Progress, right?
What about you? Anyone else struggle with this? Drop your best “I lost track of time” story in the comments!
Elias Carter 