A Better Clock for Time Management
OK, I’ve got another one about time management. But this time, there’s a cool product that goes along with it. The Time Timer staff let me into their world and gave me a chance to check out their products. There’s a lot of talk about in regards to how to manage the construct of time, but they created a visual training device that’s good for kids and adults. The creator of Time Timer took some (umm) time to answer questions about what they do and how it can help. It’s worth a read.
Here's the link for their products!
For people reading this in the Cincinnati area, they are a local company. I’m a big believer in supporting local businesses!
What is your product? What does it do?
Time Timer® is a visual timer that shows the passage of time with a disappearing disk, making the abstract concept of time concrete. For more than 30 years, Time Timer has been trusted and research-backed, helping people of all ages manage time more effectively with a clear visual representation of how much time is left. This simple yet powerful tool reduces stress, increases focus, supports smooth transitions, and improves productivity at work, school, therapy, and home.
How do you think a product like yours can assist people with ADHD?
People with ADHD often experience time blindness, meaning it’s difficult to sense how much time is passing or how long a task will take. Time Timer® helps by making time visible and concrete. The disappearing disk provides a constant, intuitive reminder of the time left, reducing anxiety and the need to mentally track time. This visual support can improve focus, ease transitions between tasks, and build stronger time management skills.
Time Blindness is a thing for a lot of ADHD people. This can be a good thing, where people lose track of time and go into the zone and hyperfocus. It could be a bad thing, because while in “the zone” people with ADHD can have problems with being on time. Can your product help with this, and if so, how?
Many people with ADHD thrive in “the zone” of hyperfocus, but the challenge is knowing when to come out of it without losing track of commitments or deadlines. The Time Timer provides a gentle, visual reminder of passing time without interrupting focus. The Time Timer visual timer sits in the background, showing how much time is left at a glance. This way, people can stay immersed in what they’re doing while still having an external cue to help them shift tasks or be on time. It turns time into something concrete and predictable, helping reduce the stress that often comes after hyperfocus.
Time management is often a big problem with ADHD. How can this product help people manage anything from tasks at home like laundry or cleaning, and also help people at work finish what needs to be done or start on a task they’ve been putting off?
For home tasks like laundry or cleaning, setting the timer creates a clear “container” of time, so instead of an endless chore, it becomes a manageable 10, 20, or 30 minutes. At work, the visual countdown can make it easier to get started on tasks that feel intimidating, while also keeping focus steady until the job is done. By showing time disappearing, Time Timer reduces procrastination, eases transitions, and helps build momentum for both small tasks and big projects.
Do you have other recommendations on what could go along with your product to make your clientele even more productive or more on top of their time management?
While Time Timer® is a powerful tool on its own, pairing it with a few simple strategies can make time management even more effective. Many people with ADHD find success when they combine visual timers with checklists or planners to break tasks into smaller steps. Setting reminders or alarms can provide an extra layer of accountability. Creating consistent routines, like always using the Time Timer when starting a task, can also help build a habit. And for some, pairing the timer with positive reinforcement, like rewarding yourself after a focused work session, can boost motivation. Together, these supports create a system that makes staying on top of time feel more natural and less stressful.
What changes have you seen your product make in people’s lives?
I pulled some great quotes from articles written on the Time Timer:
Physically twisting the dial on the timer helps me shift my mindset. I find it’s a lot easier to focus when I can see the time I’m wasting right in front of me. And once I do finally start a task, I usually find that whatever it is I’ve been putting off doesn’t take me as long to complete as I thought it would.
Every so often, however, the task at hand proves to be just as time-consuming or complicated as I’d suspected. In these moments, my visual timer is especially helpful; whenever I feel myself losing focus, I look to it for motivation. Whether I have five minutes or half an hour left, that visual cue is usually enough to propel me back into action.
Sometimes, I even work harder to finish whatever it is I’m doing before the timer elapses. There’s no thrill quite like beating the clock.
From romper.com:
Before the Time Timer, I would have probably tried to set an alarm on my phone to keep us both on track for bedtime. Or, if I didn’t do that — because phone alarms are really annoying and ruin the vibe when you’re trying to be all present with your child — I would accidentally spend 30 minutes goofing around with Hot Wheels. Suddenly bath time, and therefore bedtime, are way off track.
With a Time Timer in our life, we both do a little better. In this example, I don’t even need to know what time it is — I already know that it’s bath time. I grab the Time Timer and decide we get 5 minutes. I set it, show him that we’ve got all that time to play before tub, and we play. As we quietly play, I glance at it occasionally, and when I see it’s run out, I point that out to him.
But the most surprisingly lovely use for the timer I’ve found is how I use it for myself. Even when we’re not in a time crunch, I’ll often set it for myself as a simple visual reminder that keeps me on track without needing to glance at a screen when I’m with my kids.
What inspired you (or the founder) to create such a product?
The need for a visual timepiece became evident to me when my youngest daughter was about 4 years old. She was constantly interested in time, frequently asking “how much longer” or “when”. No timer available at that point could give her the information she wanted – the kitchen timer was a bell in space, she knew it was coming just not when; the digital clock and watches were just a series of numbers that meant nothing; the clock on the wall was confusing and difficult to interpret. It seemed to me that if my child was having difficulty with this basic task of understanding elapsed time, other children might need the same kind of resource to help understand time. In my daughter’s early schooling, time was taught as a position on a clock face, not a duration, so it was difficult for a child to manage time segments. I thought that if the child could actually “see” time move, they would be better equipped to meet deadlines, transition, self-monitor timed activities, etc.
–Jan Rogers
Here is more from an interview we did with Jan Rogers.
Any recommendations/advice for how to really make time management work for people with ADHD?
Break tasks into smaller steps, set clear time boundaries, and use visual tools like Time Timer® to make the passing of time concrete. Pairing timers with routines (like always setting one when starting laundry or diving into work) helps create consistency. It’s also important to give yourself grace! Progress comes from building strategies that fit the way your brain works.