Podcast Summary: "The Exact Executive Functions Behind ADHD Time Blindness"

Podcast: I Have ADHD Podcast
Host: Kristen Carder
Episode: 367 BITESIZE
Release Date: January 8, 2026

Overview

In this concise, insightful "bitesize" episode, coach and ADHD expert Kristen Carder dives into the exact executive functions that underlie "time blindness"—the unique time-management struggles experienced by adults with ADHD. Drawing on her coaching expertise and relatable anecdotes, Kristen unpacks why organizing, planning, and simply keeping track of time present such persistent challenges, and why these issues are rooted in neurological differences, not character flaws. The tone is warm, direct, and validating, emphasizing self-compassion and practical understanding.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Working Memory and Time Management

• Verbal Working Memory:
  • The "mind's voice" that keeps individuals on track internally.
  • ADHDers often experience extremes: a constant, overwhelming internal monologue, or complete silence.
  • Kristen shares:

    "For me, I don't have the mind's voice. I've tried to develop it over time, but... I'm talking to myself out loud because I don't have the inner monologue." (05:37)

• Nonverbal Working Memory:
  • The "mind's eye" enables visualization of steps and finished tasks.
  • ADHDers often struggle here, making it hard to conceptualize and predict time accurately.

  • "This is why it's hard to understand how, like, five minutes can feel like 17 hours, and 17 hours...can feel like five minutes. It's like, it makes no sense." (07:10)

2. Organization, Planning, and Prioritization

• This critical cluster of executive functions is often deficient in ADHD, compounding time management struggles.

• "So much of our executive function impacting time management is this cluster set of skills...it's kind of like a clusterfuck, like not an actual great cluster." (08:08)

• ADHD brains easily become overwhelmed by multi-step tasks, making it hard to even start.

3. Inhibition and Impulsivity

• The skill of "delaying short-term pleasure in exchange for long-term reward" (following Dr. Barkley's framework).
• Electing to resist distractions is directly tied to inhibition capacity.

• "This is one of the main reasons why we're hopping from task to task...because we jump into a task and then it's not fun and we're like, screw this, this is not fun." (10:04)

4. Self-Motivation and Dopamine

• Motivation issues in ADHD are rooted in neurobiology—specifically, a dopamine deficit and fewer dopamine receptors.

• "The dopamine that a neurotypical will experience doing...mundane tasks is not something that we get to enjoy...our reward system is broken." (11:01)

• Medication can help for many, but day-to-day self-motivation remains a major challenge.

5. Emotional Regulation

• Emotional dysregulation is often the root of apparent "time management" issues.

• "Most of the time, we don't have necessarily a time management issue. We have an emotional...management issue. I'm just going to go ahead and say that." (13:54)

• For example, people-pleasing (saying "yes" out of fear of letting people down) derails time plans, but is an emotional—not purely organizational—problem.

• "A lot of our time management struggles are actually emotional regulation struggles." (14:50)

6. Self-Reflection

• Difficulty learning from past mistakes and adjusting behavior is another key executive function deficit.

• "It's really hard for us ADHDers to see when we're living in fantasy...We don't see these fantasies. It's hard to correct our mistakes. So we make the same mistakes over and over." (16:53)

7. Compassion and Self-Acceptance

• Kristen repeatedly emphasizes that these struggles are not moral failings or evidence of laziness—they are neurological facts.

• "It is harder for you. It's harder for you. And I want that to not make you feel badly about yourself. I actually want that to spur you to feeling compassion for yourself." (18:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On visualization challenges:

  "We struggle to conceptualize time...we don't even realize or conceptualize the passage of time." (06:32)

• On emotional regulation and time choices:

  "If we can get a handle on our emotions, then we can make better executive decisions around our time." (14:09)

• On self-reflection and patterns:

  "It's because your executive functions are deficient. And one of those...is your ability to self reflect, to look at what you've done and say, okay, this worked well, but this didn't work." (16:36)

• On asking for help:

  "I still have to lean on my neurotypical team or my neurotypical spouse or my neurotypical BFF to say, like, do I actually have time for this? Is this going to be too much for me?" (19:46)

• On self-acceptance being the start of change:

  "Accepting that it's hard...is actually the pathway to making amazing changes." (20:46)

• Closing encouragement:

  "Take a deep breath. Like, how does it feel for you for me to say this is actually harder for you? It should be hard." (20:06)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:55] — Introduction to time blindness and executive functions
• [05:37] — Working memory: verbal (mind's voice) and nonverbal (mind's eye)
• [08:08] — Organization, planning, and prioritization deficits
• [10:04] — Inhibition and impulsivity in time management
• [11:01] — Self-motivation, dopamine, and nonpreferred tasks
• [13:54] — Emotional regulation as the heart of time management struggles
• [16:36] — Self-reflection and learning from experience
• [18:34] — Compassion and acceptance: reframing ADHD struggles
• [19:46] — Illustrations of needing external help for “time math”
• [20:46] — Accepting difficulty as the first step to real change

Conclusion

Kristen Carder’s episode delivers a high-impact, empathy-rich framework for understanding the exact skills that fuel or foil time management in ADHD. By naming and normalizing the real brain-based obstacles, she encourages listeners to move past shame and self-blame so they can start making real, compassionate progress.

For further support, listeners are encouraged to check the show notes for resources and the full episode, and visit ihaveadhd.com.