The Silence of Time

Hey friend,​

When you think of time, you probably think of the tick-ticking of clock.

tick . . . tick . . . tick

The metaphor for the ticking clock is so strong, it's often used in movies to signal a sense of urgency to the listener.

In Christopher Nolan's film, Dunkirk, the musical score actually uses a recording of Nolan's own watch for the accentuated ticking clock that ramps up the tension in that film.

The sound of time helps you keep track of pacing, of passing moments. And preparing for those to come.

But with ADHD, time is silent.

You have a clockless mind, and that silence means you don't hear or feel the seconds, minutes, and hours as they pass us by.

It's no wonder we struggle with so many aspects of time management. We're trying to interpret the music that we just can't quite seem hear.

Instead of straining to hear the inaudible ticking clock, we can embrace the silence and find alternative ways to navigate time.

We can use tools like visual timers, calendars, and reminder apps to help us see and feel the passing moments that our minds don't inherently grasp.

By accepting the unique way our brains perceive time, we can stop berating ourselves for not fitting into the neurotypical mold. We can learn to work with our ADHD rather than fighting it, and find strategies that complement our clockless minds.

Remember, having ADHD doesn't mean we're "bad with time"—it simply means we experience time differently.

And with the right tools and mindset, we can harness that difference to create our own rhythms of productivity and success.

Stay focused,
Jesse J. Anderson

P.S. Speaking of Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk wasn't my favorite film of his but I love this video studying how Hans Zimmer used sound illusions in the film's score to build a continuous sense of tension and urgency to match the film's plot.

I think this is how my brain feels once an important deadline becomes imminent, that rare moment when I can suddenly hear time quite loudly!