Are you a “chronically slow” friend? Tiktok please say something to you.
Over the past few weeks, people have been sharing virus videos on the app, speaking out against people who have constantly slow running as the critical personality traits. No, they don’t buy “time blindness” as an excuse – but should they?
“You’re chronically slow, wasting people’s time, and having poor time management skills is not a quirky personality trait,” one Tiktalker said in a video with 6 million views. Add another user to another video of people treating them like quirks of personality.
Comments are filled with people stacked up, as are those who issue a massive apology for being part of the issue.
“As someone who’s chronically behind, I agree and I’m sorry,” wrote one commenter. “As someone who is chronically late, I fully accept results and lateness. Don’t wait for me… I’ll leave. I understand that,” another wrote.
But if someone is suffering from delays frequently, is there a possibility that something deeper is happening? Well, yes. Mental health experts previously told USA Today that “time blindness” is certainly a legitimate experience, especially for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.
“Time blindness can be quite detrimental to people,” author Stephanie Salkis, who specializes in ADHD, anxiety and drug abuse, told the United States previously. “That’s the truth being studied.”
What causes blindness in time?
Time blind people struggle to track and estimate time. It’s difficult to measure how long it takes them to complete a task, or how long it takes them to arrive somewhere.
Sarkis said that, although it is most commonly observed in people with ADHD, blindness of time can occur in people with impaired executive function, which originates from the frontal lobe region of the brain, which causes personality, judgment, and self-control.
The frontal lobe “like the brain’s lock,” Sarkis said, adding that time blindness can also be present in depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. “It’s not specifically for ADHD, but it has a significant impact on ADHD.”
Ali Tuckman, a psychologist specializing in ADHD, couples and sexual therapy, previously told USA Today that people can experience temporary blindness for a while if they are sad, drunk, stressed, and lack of sleep.
People have also experienced time blindness for various severities, he added.
“We all have a sense of time,” Tuckman said. “This ability to look at the time and notice it is human ability. The spectrum is human ability. Some people are really good. Some people aren’t that good.”
How can people deal with time blindness?
Salkis and Tackman offer these tips for those who may be suffering from blindness in time:
- Alarms and scheduling apps are your best friend. “The app is really useful, so use the timer whenever possible,” Sarkis said. “If your brain is used to it, change the tone of the timer. Use an app that helps you schedule and prioritize. Take advantage of the technology we have.”
- Try an analog clock instead of a digital clock. Using an old-fashioned clock with the hands of moments and time can help people with blindness in time track how long it takes things and see the present moment in relation to the past and future, Tuckman said. “It’s much more specific,” he said. “You see your hands moving and see how close it is to what point it is, as opposed to a truly abstract digital clock.”
- Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep can worsen time blindness and other symptoms of ADHD, Sarkis said. “If you’re experiencing a lot of life changes happening with lack of sleep, it’s really important to tell someone about it because it can make your executive dysfunction even more dysfunction.”
- See Specialists. If you are suffering from time blindness, you may have ADHD and may be able to treat it, Sarkis added that working with experts to find the right medication could relieve time blindness and other symptoms.
For those who are not suffering from blindness in time, Sarkis said he is irritated and angry with those who don’t solve the problem.
“We all have a variety of advantages and disadvantages,” she said. “We not only actively strengthen people’s strengths, but we also need to be kind and understand people’s weaknesses, and being angry with someone can’t improve those weaknesses.”
