Sometimes you rush out the door thinking, “Just five more minutes and I’ll be on time.” Then suddenly you’re stuck in traffic, at a bus stop, or in a line, realizing you’re late again. Sound familiar? You’re not lazy or irresponsible. You’re a tidsoptimist — a “time optimist.” This Swedish term perfectly captures people who sincerely believe they have more time than they actually do.

What Is This Phenomenon?

Being a tidsoptimist isn’t a diagnosis or a character flaw. It’s a unique way of perceiving time, where the brain consistently underestimates how many minutes or hours a task will take. You plan to leave at 8:30 because you’ll “get ready quickly,” but forget you still need to find your keys, reply to a message, and brew coffee. In your head, it all takes three minutes. In reality — fifteen.

Psychologists explain this through optimism bias. It’s an evolutionary mechanism: our brains are wired to believe the best to keep us motivated. In ancient times, it helped us hunt or build shelter — “I’ll make it to the cave before the rain.” Today, it convinces us that “one more episode won’t hurt” or “I’ll get there in 20 minutes,” even when Google Maps says 40.

Why Don’t Tidsoptimists Notice Time Passing?

A key reason is time blindness. When you’re absorbed in something, your brain enters a flow state. Dopamine, released during enjoyable activities (scrolling, gaming, chatting), blocks the signal that “time is flying.” You don’t feel the minutes slipping away.

A 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that highly optimistic people perceive time as subjectively shorter. In the experiment, participants estimated task duration. Optimists consistently underestimated by 20–30%. The authors, led by Dr. Emilia Larsson, linked this to activity in the prefrontal cortex — where planning meets emotion, hope overrides realism.

Screens Make It Worse

Smartphones are a trap for tidsoptimists. Every notification steals 3–5 seconds of attention, but the brain takes up to 20 minutes to refocus. This is called attention residue. A 2018 University of California study showed that frequent phone-checkers lose up to 40% of productive time.

Late-night scrolling blurs boundaries even more. Blue light suppresses melatonin, so you fall asleep later. The next morning — brain fog, and time perception distorts again. Chronic fatigue reduces activity in the insular cortex, the brain area responsible for self-control and planning.

Is It Bad or Good?

On one hand, tidsoptimists often run late, miss deadlines, and frustrate friends. On the other — their optimism is contagious. They believe they’ll get it done and often accomplish more than pessimists. Psychologist Martin Seligman, author of the theory of learned helplessness, wrote that moderate optimism boosts resilience to stress.

But when “just five more minutes” turns into hours, anxiety creeps in. You promise yourself “no more lateness,” yet the cycle repeats. It’s not willpower. It’s a cognitive pattern.

How to Live With It

1. Break tasks into chunks. Instead of “get ready fast” — make a list: keys, bag, coffee. Assign real time to each.
2. Use the 1.5 rule. Multiply the time you think you need by 1.5. 20-minute drive? Plan for 30.
3. Timers aren’t the enemy. Set an alarm 10 minutes earlier than “time to leave.” The sound breaks the “just a bit more” illusion.
4. Turn off notifications. At least for an hour. You’ll be shocked how much time appears.
5. Keep a time journal. Log how long commutes, cleaning, or calls actually take. After a week, you’ll spot patterns.

Observations from Practice. Many tidsoptimists I’ve spoken with (as a consulting psychologist) say: “I’m not late because I don’t respect others. I just don’t feel time.” One client missed a flight because he “quickly checked email.” Another was late to a friend’s wedding because she “finished her coffee fast.” What unites them: genuine belief there’s enough time.

Interestingly, tidsoptimists are less likely to suffer from depression. Their brains are tuned to hope. The question is balance: how to keep the optimism but add realism.

Conclusion

Being a tidsoptimist isn’t a sentence. It’s your brain’s way of making the world better: “I’ll make it. I can do it.” But the world doesn’t always bend to our illusions. A little planning, awareness, and self-compassion — and you’ll stop chasing time. It’s running anyway. Better to walk alongside it.

Sources

• Larsson, E. et al. (2023). How Optimism Changes the Way We Feel Time. Frontiers in Psychology.
• University of California, Irvine (2018). The Cost of Interrupted Work.
• Seligman, M. (2006). Learned Optimism.

If you’re a tidsoptimist — welcome. You have a superpower. Just teach it to set an alarm.