Time Blindness: Sharon Roberts, Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator, Kitchener, ON
I could never warm up to Alice in Wonderland. It was too crazy, too frantic. Time in Wonderland seemed troubled; topsy turvy. It’s not unlike many households today. We live at a frantic pace.
Maybe you find yourself chronically late or overwhelmed when given a project , fearing how long it would take? Do you feel constantly rushed? Does your child struggle to complete homework or doesn’t get ready even with constant reminders? Maybe you just don’t get time?
The phrase coined to identify this behavior is time blindness. It means a person is unable to sense the passing of time and it can make nearly every aspect of a person’s life more difficult.
While technology has provided aids to assist the task of reading, writing or doing math, the ability to manage time and meet deadlines remains challenging not only for that individual but for those who live, work or play with them. Tardiness makes others feel less valued and is often interpreted as inconsiderate, disrespectful or just plain rude.
Being able to shift perceptions (disorient) readily, is an innate characteristic of the dyslexic or ADHD mindset, and the root cause of time blindness. In The Gift of Learning by Ronald D. Davis, he says disorientation is not just limited to visual input but can affect a person’s sense of time. When a person readily disorients, there is no consistency in assessing how much time goes by. There is an inconsistent impression made and the person’s world speeds up or slows down in a way that is out of control. This is determined by the speed of their internal clock. I have had clients describe this as walking through a dark tunnel with no light in sight.
The Davis programs address disorientation and through creative and tactile means introduce the concept of time. Faithful use of the client’s orientation tools when facing situations involving time allows the person to input accurately so the awareness of time passing by is more spot on. Besides reducing stress, effective time management can achieve a better work/life balance, greater focus, less procrastination and more productivity. One of the key benefits of time management is greater time freedom. When you have greater time freedom, you can focus your time on setting and achieving your biggest goals. Greater time freedom also ensures you have more time to spend with family and friends; you have more time to deepen relationships and pursue new hobbies. What would you do with an extra few hours in a week?
‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ ..on APRIL 1, 2023 at 4.30pm PST, 7.30pm EST to talk about this article. Please join us! Will be so much fun to hear your time challenges and solutions !