With this trick, you can make time go slower
Seriously: how is it already 2023? You can't convince me that 2020 was three – I repeat: three – years ago. In the meantime, I still start anecdotes from that year with the words: ‘I had that recently too.’ Recently? Let's just say more than a quarter of a decade ago. Okay, that might be a bit exaggerated, but I can't be the only one who finds time to be bizarrely fast. Research also shows that the older we get, the faster time seems to fly by. Great. Fortunately, according to that same research, there is something we can do about this phenomenon, namely: doing new things.
Researchers say that our perception of time has everything to do with the amount of attention we give to a moment, and the extent to which we immerse ourselves in an experience. As a child, everything is new, which means we pay full attention to the situation we are in, making time seem to pass more slowly. As we get older, we switch more to autopilot and drown in our habits, causing time to seem to go faster. Sounds logical, but how can you apply this trick to your own life? There are two ways to do this.
Big changes and bucket list moments
Think about what you still want to do in your life. Want to take a big trip? Go bungee jumping? Make a career switch? Do it now! Actively realizing your dreams and goals gives your life the shake-up it needs to break the daily routine and makes time seem to pass more slowly. This is also the reason why you still remember exactly when you had a nice vacation, but can't remember what you ate last Tuesday. The daily routine creates one big blur of time, while big, new things make time feel like it stands still because you have to pay attention to them. Researcher Dr. Ros Knight says this approach absolutely works, but isn't always very practical. We can't all turn our lives upside down at once.
Hobby hopping and avoiding habits
Does changing your whole life sound like a bit too big of a step? Small changes can also make a big difference. For example, try out as many hobbies as possible. Making clothes, taking music lessons, or painting; think about what makes your creative heart happy and start hobbying. Avoiding habits can also help here. If you keep looking for small novelties in your life, you prevent monotony and routine, which slows down time. Dr. Knight says that avoiding habits can be as simple as not repeating dinner recipes, taking a different walking route than usual, or leaving your earbuds at home when you go out. Thanks to these small changes, you keep your attention more on the moment, which stretches time and makes a year no longer feel like one big blur of routine and monotony. It's worth a try!
Source: The House of Wellness
