Psychology of Those Who are Always Late

CLEVELAND - Know someone who’s always running late?

Whether you’re waiting on someone else or you’re the one being waited on, a Cleveland Clinic psychologist says many factors contribute to tardiness.

“A lot of times people don't leave on time because they think, ‘Oh, let me start the dishwasher, oh, let me check this, oh, I can do this one more thing.’ We call this time blindness, where we think we have more time than we have,” explained Chivonna Childs, PhD, a psychologist for Cleveland Clinic.

According to Dr. Childs, time blindness can stem from a mental health condition like anxiety or depression.

Anxiety can make us drag our feet when heading somewhere, while depression can drain our motivation to even try.

Lateness can also be linked to ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), which makes staying organized and time management a challenge.

If you are always late, Dr. Childs said it’s important to figure out why and then work on finding a solution.

That’s because chronic tardiness can affect everything from work performance to personal relationships.

“When we’re habitually late to social events, people may stop inviting us in the first place,” Dr. Childs said. “Over time, this can put a strain on your relationships and even lead to you losing some of those connections.”

Dr. Childs said planning ahead, prepping the night before and setting alarms to signal when to leave can help you stay on track.

If being on time continues to be a struggle, Dr. Childs recommends reaching out to a mental health professional for more strategies.