When Time Isn’t a Straight Line
Navigating ADHD Time Blindness as a Music-Maker
Time & the ADHD Creative series – Part 1: Awareness & Acceptance
Do people ask you to commit to something six months away and you think:
How could I possibly know whether future-me wants to and will be able to do that?
Yet if someone invites you to a gig that starts in two hours, you know your answer instantly.
And sometimes the last-minute invites and decisions feel easier because you don’t have to work through theoretical logistics in the future—you know NOW, either way.
Or maybe you say yes to stuff then have to cancel because you haven’t thought it through or some things weren’t in your diary.
If that rings true, you already know the shape of Now-and-Not-Now time.
For many ADHD and neurodivergent creatives, time isn’t a tidy row of boxes on a calendar. It’s stretchy, foggy, sometimes absent altogether.
In this post, I’m talking about how I (a songwriter/producer/coach with impressive time-blindness) work with that reality instead of fighting it.
🧠 1 · What Is Time Blindness?
Time blindness is the difficulty in sensing time passing and estimating how long things will take.
It can feel like:
🎲 Task-length roulette — does vocal comping take 3 hours or 3 days?
🚪 Non-existent transitions — underestimating the time it takes to switch gears (shoes on, dog out, laptop open…)
⏳ Now or Not-Now thinking — the future is foggy; the present is everything.
🔁 Difficulty generalising — repeated tasks still feel new every time.
💤 Paralysis in waiting mode — can't start anything while “holding space” for another task.
🧩 Not knowing how to sequence tasks — where to start? = overwhelm.
⌛ Losing track of time — suddenly it’s 2am and you forgot to eat.
🚨 Time pressure switch — the engine only kicks in at the last minute.
✨ Magical thinking — it’s 7:59, you’re 1km away, and you still think you’ll make it by 8.
📅 Inability to stick to schedules — you try… you feel psyched then, one day poof, like it never existed.
🤯 Inaccurate time sense — how has it already been 6 months since you started that project or got that email?
🎶 2 · How Time Blindness Shows Up in Music-Making
Time blindness doesn’t just make you late (or incredibly early). It messes with your creative rhythm, energy, and self-trust in subtle ways.
🎧 1. The Track Black Hole
You open a session to “tweak the EQ” and re-emerge four hours later parched and starving, needing the toilet.
You got things done — but at what cost to your body?
🛑 2. Have time but can’t use it Spiral
You have studio time booked, but maybe you don’t know where to start so you don’t make the progress you hoped for, hello shame spiral.
The day’s technically open… but you haven’t been able to utilise it
⏱️ 3. Misjudged Time = Missed Collabs
You think a vocal editing will take “a couple of hours”… but you’re still at it at 2am.
It’s not disorganisation — it’s time distortion.
🎭 4. Burnout Behind the Scenes
You show up for everything… but forgot to recharge. Your creativity flatlines.
🎙️ 5. Time-Triggered Shame Loop
You forget a check-in or overbook, then spiral into shame and shutdown.
You wonder, why does this always happen?
🔤 3 · What To Do About It?
Try the A-B-C
If you're thriving — amazing.
But if your time perception is causing stress or burnout, here's where to begin:
🅰️ A = Awareness & Acceptance
Track one day (use Toggl, or use voice notes).
Ask: Did this feel fast? Endless? Invisible?
Accept that your time perception is different, not defective.
💡 Bonus tip: If it feels impossible to remember to log your day (I feel you), record yourself during tasks to review your real timing and transitions.
🅱️ B = Build & Batch
Build systems that support your awareness:
anchors, timers, visual blocks, body‑doubling sessions and
Batch – group similar tasks or plan all timings in one short burst so the week doesn’t drip‑feed anxiety. Example: every Sunday evening, a 15‑minute “time map” with family or your assistant.
🅲️ C = Communicate & Change
Communicate with others: “If I don’t reply in 24h, nudge me!”
Communicate with yourself: “Hang on- I always underestimate this—add a buffer.”
Change- Update systems when they stop working. That’s not failure, it’s maintenance- we need novelty, often.
Rhythm evolves. So can your scaffolds.
🌀 4 · Reframing Time: Rhythms > Routines
I no longer chase linear routines. I build rhythms.
🪨 What Are Anchors?
Anchors are non-time-based cues that help you start or shift tasks.
Instead of “At 10am,” think “After coffee…” or “When I hear that playlist…”
🛠️ Examples of ADHD-Friendly Time Tools & Strategies
Habit stacking
What It Looks Like Get in the shower → 5‑min vocal warm‑ups
Why It Works Pairs body memory with task start
Result 2 tasks at once + great acoustics
Time container
What It Looks Like "Creative mode" in the mornings (not “finish song by 9am”)
Why It Works Success = showing up for what matters and allows flexibility
Result Less pressure, more presence
Body Doubling
What It Looks Like Work alongside someone (e.g. library, cafe, AMP session)
Why It Works External reminder to stay on task
Result Progress on stuck tasks + not feeling so alone
Overestimating buffer
What It Looks Like Add (eg. +24 hrs) beyond initial instinct on deadlines
Why It Works Buffer beats shame & panic
Result Under-promise / over-deliver/ just get something calmly in on time
Bulk planning
What It Looks Like Plan your week with others (family, team)
Why It Works Similar tasks use same brain space + context= less reactivity
Result Less panic, less scattered, better clarity
Freewheeling space
What It Looks Like Plan nothing for (eg 40 mins) with a timer — bath, journal…
Why It Works Planned rest = real rest
Result You build trust in your own system and get to give your brain a break
🎵 5 · Final Thought
Time isn’t a moral scorecard. It’s not a punishment. It’s raw material.
Your ADHD brain already runs on rhythm — music, mood, momentum.
Let rhythm become your structure. Let the world keep its clocks.
You? You have anchors.
Want to go deeper?
📄 Download the free AMP Club TIME TOOLS & STRATEGIES CHEATSHEET
🧠 Join The Sunday Reset (6pm BST) to plan your week
💬 Leave a comment or dm me on insta @theadhdmusiccoach -
Some things to ponder….
What does time feel like for you today?
How would you show up in the world if you could be better aligned with your personal rhythms?
Where in your life can you implement one small change to help you with this?