Most of us lose track of time now and then. You may sit down to quickly check email, and what feels like five minutes turns out to be an hour. Other times, certain tasks feel like they take much longer than they actually do. This distorted sense of how much time has passed is what many people describe as time blindness.
Though it’s not an official medical diagnosis, for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), time blindness is a common experience.
“If you have time blindness, not only will you be more likely to underestimate how long a task will take, but it will also be difficult to keep in mind that this task does not exist in a vacuum,” says Ari Lakritz, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at OSF HealthCare in Alton, Illinois. You might get lost in one task and forget that you have other responsibilities waiting, he adds. This can mean missing deadlines, running late to meetings, or constantly falling behind.
With the right strategies, it’s possible to work around these challenges and create more predictable days. Let’s get into some hacks and tools that can support better time awareness and deeper focus.
Set Timers
A timer can help you set clear boundaries around a task so it doesn’t stretch far beyond what you intended. Instead of guessing how long you’ve been working, you first decide how much time you want to spend on a task and then let the timer tell you when that time is up.
This creates a defined start and stop, which can be helpful when time tends to slip away.
Timers also help break large tasks into smaller chunks. For many adults with ADHD, facing a big project all at once can make getting started difficult and lead to procrastination.
But working in short, timed sessions makes the task feel more manageable and gives the brain frequent moments to reset.
“I have patients who use a simple egg timer or a Pomodoro app to set a 20-minute block of work followed by a 5-minute break,” says Jennie Byrne, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and neuroscientist who specializes in adult ADHD. These regular intervals create natural stopping points and help keep time from slipping away. It may be easier to start a task that feels overwhelming when you know a break is coming.
Tools you can use include:
Physical timers: A kitchen egg timer or small desk timer that rings when time is up
Pomodoro-style apps: Examples include Focus Keeper, which automatically alerts you when work and break periods end, so you don’t have to watch the clock, and Pomofocus, which is a web-based timer that sends notifications when each interval finishes. Be Focused is another app that rings an alarm at the end of each session and tracks how many work blocks you’ve completed.
Built-in phone timers: Most smartphones come with built-in timers that sound at the end of a work session and require no download or extra setup.
It helps to choose something quick and simple. If starting the timer feels like extra work, you’re less likely to use it consistently.
Schedule Tasks Before Hard Deadlines
Another way to avoid getting caught up in a task is to schedule it right before a hard deadline, like an appointment or a responsibility that can’t be postponed or canceled, says Dr. Lakritz. The deadline creates a firm stopping point that doesn’trely on self-discipline alone.
“This could be doing a work task where your goal is to finish in 30 minutes. You know there is a risk of it being stretched out over an hour and a half due to distraction or becoming too caught up in minor details. So you save this task for the 30 minutes before having to pick up your child from daycare or a similar task that is nonnegotiable. You want to create outside motivators for getting things done on time,” explains Lakritz.
To use this strategy, choose a task you often spend too long on and place it in a time slot with a clear endpoint. Knowing exactly when you need to stop makes it easier to stay aware of the clock and manage your energy.
Examples of hard deadlines include:
School or day-care pickup times: Schedule focused work in the hour before you need to leave.
Appointments: Use the time right before a doctor’s visit or meeting as a work block.
Commute times: If you need to catch a train or leave for an office, plan tasks in the window before departure.
Social commitments: Block time for work right before dinner plans or meetups that can’t be rescheduled.
Household responsibilities: Use the time before you need to start dinner or help kids with homework.
Try Body Doubling
Body doubling is a strategy where you work with someone at the same time, but not necessarily on the same task, says Lakritz. The person’s presence simply creates a sense of accountability and helps keep attention from drifting. For many adults with ADHD, knowing that someone else is working along with them can make it easier to stay focused and avoid slipping into distractions.
Lakritz says this approach is very effective, especially for tasks that tend to drag on or lead to procrastination. It can also cut down on impulsive distractions. “It is a little embarrassing to be going down a YouTube rabbit hole when the person next to you can see everything you’re doing and is working hard themselves,” he says.
If you’re comfortable, you can also ask someone to check in with you at a certain time to see how the task is going. Having to show progress to another person can add motivation, says Lakritz.
Ways to try body doubling include:
In-person coworking: Sit with a coworker, partner, or friend while you both work on separate tasks.
Virtual focus sessions: Join online body-doubling groups or coworking rooms where everyone quietly works during timed intervals.
Scheduled check-ins: Ask someone to check on your progress at a specific time to help keep you moving forward.
Use Background Sound
The right kind of background sound can help you stay focused.
For example, a quiet room can make the mind wander, while certain types of sounds provide just enough stimulation to keep the brain engaged without becoming a distraction.
“Some people like binaural beats that you can find on common apps like Spotify or Headspace. Other people like to listen to video game music to keep their brains stimulated. It is all about finding the right music or sounds that work for the individual,” says Dr. Byrne.
Music can also serve as an informal timer. If you need to work for an hour, choose a playlist that runs about that long. When the music stops, you know the time is up. Creating playlists of different lengths gives you ready-made options whenever you need them.
At the same time, reducing distracting sounds is a helpful way to stay focused. Noise-canceling headphones or simple foam earplugs can help block distracting noise, especially in busy homes or shared workspaces.
Options to try include:
Binaural beats: These use different frequencies in each ear to create a focusing effect and are available on many music apps.
Instrumental or video game music: It can provide steady stimulation without lyrics. You can search for playlists on streaming platforms.
White noise or ambient sounds: These are steady, consistent background noises, like rain, nature sounds, or coffee shop ambience, that can mask distracting sounds. Find these on apps like myNoise, or search for them on YouTube or Spotify.
Noise-canceling headphones: You might find headphones with noise-canceling technology helpful to keep distracting noise down.
Take Advantage of Visual Planners
With time blindness, a task can become so absorbing that you block awareness of everything else, in a kind of tunnel vision, explains Lakritz. A visual planner where you can see your schedule at a glance can counter this effect.
It can serve as a constant reminder that other responsibilities are waiting and make it easier to stay aware of what’s coming next.
Seeing the day laid out also helps with estimating how much time is actually available, which can prevent overpacking your schedule. Visual planners work best when they are large, simple, and placed where you naturally look throughout the day.
Options include:
Paper planners or wall calendars: Writing tasks by hand and keeping the planner visible provides a physical reference that doesn’t require opening an app or device to check.
Digital calendar apps with notifications: If you prefer a digital version, apps like Google Calendar or Outlook send reminders before appointments and let you see the entire day or week at a glance with color-coded options.
Time-blocking templates: Printable or digital templates that divide the day into hourly blocks can help you assign specific times to tasks and see how they fit together throughout the day.
Optimize Your Physical Space
A well-organized physical space can help you stay focused and move through the day without losing track of important tasks. One strategy Byrne recommends is creating a “landing pad” at home and at work. She explains that this is a single, visible spot close to the door where you place all the important items that go in and out of the house. The idea is to have one consistent spot for keys, wallet, phone, work badge, and anything else needed daily.
Byrne notes that the “landing pad” needs to be somewhere you can see it, so closets and closed cubbies likely won’t work. “A single place for all items makes getting out of the house in the morning much easier and can cut the morning routine down by 15 to 30 minutes,” she says.
Lakritz suggests keeping the workspace itself simple. A clear desk, comfortable chair, and minimal distractions can help the brain stay on track. Other items are helpful only if they support focus rather than distract, he says.
The Takeaway
Time blindness is the inability to recognize how much time has passed, how long tasks will take, or stay aware of what’s next on your schedule. For adults with ADHD, this often leads to missed deadlines and feeling constantly behind.
Set timers and schedule tasks before hard deadlines to create clear start and stop points to help with focus and make long projects feel more manageable.
Body doubling and background sound can provide cues that support focus and reduce distractions.
Visual planners and a simplified physical space can help you remember what needs attention and make it easier to move through the day with less stress.
