“Losing Track of Time? 8 Ways to End ADHD Time Blindness”

Losing track of time – while a maddening manifestation of ADHD time blindness – is not a hopeless certainty. From alarms and task chunking to time-estimation exercises, the strategies below can help you develop a more “ACCURATE” sense of time.

8 Ways to Stop Losing Track of Time

Alarms

If you aren’t already, get into the habit of setting alarms (on your phone or other devices) to keep you on track. You can use alarms in multiple ways:

• as prompts (like to remind you to check your email at a certain time)
• as transition warnings (e.g., “10 minutes to go before your meeting”)
• as check-ins (e.g., “Did you check your email when you said you would?”)
• as time markers (like an alarm with distinct chimes on the hour)

[Get This Free Download: Keep Track of Your Time]

Clocks

Place analog/visual clocks in all your spaces so that you can readily see time passing with the hands on the clock. Consider other visual time-keeping tools, like hourglasses and the Time Timer, a clock that shows the passage of time via a disappearing red disk.

Comparison

Come up with a list of activities that you know take 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes. When you are estimating the length that an activity will take, use your list to compare. Will doing the dishes take longer than….

• listening to two songs in a row (5 to 6 minutes)?
• listening to five songs in a row (13 to 15 minutes)?
• watching an episode of a sitcom (30 minutes)?
• watching an episode of a TV drama (45-55 minutes)?
• watching a movie (90 minutes)?

Unique Visuals

Take your to-do list a step further by adding your tasks to your calendar as time-blocked activities. Keep your daily calendar as visible and eye-catching as possible, with different colors for each task/activity. Throughout the day, compare what you’re doing to what’s on your visual schedule to see if you are keeping the correct pace.

[Read: “7 Reasons Why You Need Analog Clocks”]

Regular Routines

From morning to evening, routines do an amazing job of keeping us on schedule. Doing the same activities over and over will eventually give you an intuitive benchmark and take the guesswork out of time estimation, at least for part of your day.

Audio Playlist

Use timed playlists as fun cues to signal the passage of time. A study playlist, for example, can subtly remind you that you have 5 minutes left until your break once a certain song starts to play. You can also create playlists that match the length of a task (like a 10-minute bedroom cleanup).

Task Chunking

Avoid getting lost in a large task by breaking it down into smaller parts, which can also help with time estimation. Working in shorter intervals can also help you reset your focus.

Estimation

Not sure how long various task or activities take? Play the estimation game and guess the length of time for a task and then time yourself while doing it. Compare your estimate with the actual time (be honest) and then adjust your expectations accordingly. Doing this often can improve your time estimation skills across the board.

Losing Track of Time? Next Steps

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