{"id":264553,"date":"2025-07-14T15:28:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T15:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/264553\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T15:28:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T15:28:12","slug":"mental-health-experts-reveal-reason-why-some-people-cant-help-being-late","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/264553\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental health experts reveal reason why some people can’t help being late"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chronic lateness can be frustrating for those left waiting and is often attributed to laziness and carelessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But experts say a\u00a0health issue\u00a0called time blindness could be to blame for perpetual tardiness.<\/a><\/p>\n

Often misunderstood as an inability to perceive time, the condition disrupts a person\u2019s ability to estimate how long it will take to complete tasks, affecting everything from daily routines to long-term productivity.<\/p>\n

In daily life, time blindness can manifest as missed deadlines, difficulty transitioning between tasks, or underestimating how long a task will take, resulting in stress and frustration, according to experts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Socially, it may be interpreted as disrespectful or careless behavior toward others, potentially\u00a0damaging relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cardinal feature of time blindness is an inability to estimate a time interval,\u201d Dr. Mauran Sivananthan, a psychiatrist with Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

Experts say a\u00a0health issue\u00a0called time blindness could be to blame for perpetual tardiness. Voyagerix \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

This can negatively affect a person\u2019s ability to use time as a guide to plan the day.<\/p>\n

Laurie Singer, a board-certified behavior analyst at Laurie Singer Behavioral Services in California, reiterated that those with\u00a0time agnosia\u00a0\u2014 another name for the condition \u2014 are unable to properly process the passing of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey typically struggle with knowing how much time has passed or how much time is remaining during a task,\u201d she told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

Time blindness disrupts a person\u2019s ability to estimate how long it will take to complete tasks, affecting everything from daily routines to long-term productivity. DragonImages \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

For instance, someone may miscalculate how long it takes to get ready in the morning<\/a>, rushing out the door and arriving late.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Others may get absorbed in an activity (a symptom known as hyperfocus), losing track of time completely, the expert noted.<\/p>\n

Causes of time blindness<\/p>\n

Time blindness is considered<\/a> an \u201cexecutive function issue,\u201d Sivananthan said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Executive function refers to skills like working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition control.<\/p>\n

These skills are essential for everyday tasks like making plans, solving problems, and adapting to new situations, according to the Cleveland Clinic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Time blindness is most commonly linked\u00a0to ADHD\u00a0(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).<\/p>\n

\u201cVarious parts of the brain are affected by ADHD, including the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum,\u201d Sivananthan said. \u201cThere have been many studies looking at the role of the cerebellum in time processing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The condition can also appear in individuals with autism, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), traumatic brain injuries, depression, anxiety, and even conditions like\u00a0Parkinson\u2019s disease\u00a0and multiple sclerosis, experts say.<\/p>\n

Time blindness is not listed in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which is the accepted reference book for\u00a0mental health\u00a0and brain-related conditions, Singer noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Time blindness is considered an \u201cexecutive function issue,\u201d psychiatrist Dr. Mauran Sivananthan said.\u00a0 Monkey Business \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

While there is no formal diagnosis for the condition, the inability to perceive and manage time is included in the DSM-5 criterion for ADHD.<\/p>\n

How to handle time blindness<\/p>\n

Treating time blindness often involves a multi-layered approach, starting with minimizing delays, according to Sivanathan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen something needs to be done, it is better to do it right away,\u201d he told Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Treating time blindness often involves a multi-layered approach, starting with minimizing delays, according to Sivanathan. auremar \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

It can also be helpful to use external devices to keep track of how much time is spent on an activity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sivanathan often recommends that his patients set timers before getting in the shower or starting a project, for example.<\/p>\n

Singer added, \u201cWhen provided with some of the tools to alleviate symptoms, such as starting each day in the exact same way to create a rhythm, I\u2019ve seen patients approach it with exceptional diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sivanathan often recommends that his patients set timers before getting in the shower or starting a project, for example. Pix4Ads \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The experts agree that\u00a0habitual behavior\u00a0can bring the benefits of \u201cstructure, predictability, reduced decision fatigue, increased productivity, and improved time management.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sivananthan recommends breaking large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks and creating consistent routines that \u201ctrain the brain\u201d and reduce cognitive load.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While time blindness may not disappear entirely, it can be significantly reduced through the use of consistent routines, visual aids, and regular therapy, according to experts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chronic lateness can be frustrating for those left waiting and is often attributed to laziness and carelessness.\u00a0 But…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4317],"tags":[2012,2665,1301,105,49971,218,9807,11365,1093,3114,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-264553","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mental-health","8":"tag-adhd","9":"tag-anxiety","10":"tag-depression","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-late","13":"tag-mental-health","14":"tag-mental-illness","15":"tag-parkinsons-disease","16":"tag-public-health","17":"tag-time","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114852298991357265","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}