There are numerous reasons why people with ADHD struggle with time
IN past articles, I explained how people with ADHD struggle with time management because they have difficulty noticing and feeling the passage of time. They can’t accurately predict how long activities will take to complete or how much time to leave in their schedules to complete them.
There are numerous other reasons why people with ADHD struggle with time. The first skill that affects time management is the ability to regulate attention. When someone has difficulty with this skill, they’re easily distracted, which can cause them to veer off course. Picture going to the supermarket for milk and leaving with three new couch pillows, but no milk. When their attention is pulled to a more interesting activity, they can forget what their original intention was, making tasks take longer to complete.
On the other end of the continuum of attention regulation deficiencies is the tendency to hyperfocus on activities of interest. When in a state of hyperfocus, people with ADHD don’t notice the passage of time. Boredom can make five minutes feel like forever, but an engaging activity can make five hours feel like five minutes. In some situations, they may forget to eat, drink, or even sleep when absorbed in an interesting activity or project. In a state of hyperfocus, they can neglect many tasks of daily life, affecting their ability to manage their time effectively.
Another contributor to poor time management is working memory deficits. Working memory is the ability to hold information temporarily in our heads. We use working memory for activities such as remembering a few items at the supermarket, following steps to a recipe, or keeping track of a few errands. Every time we forget one or more of these things, it leads to delays in completing care tasks.
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