Did you feel like 2015 just flew by? Like it was over in a blink of an eye. I certainly did. I can’t believe it’s a brand new year already.
Well there is a reason why we feel that way. According to Paul Janet, the longer you’re alive, the smaller a year becomes in relation to your entire life as a whole. For example, when you’re five, a year is 20% of your entire life. When you’re 50, however, a year is only 2% of your life. So if your time seems to be passing you by faster than it used to, you’re not crazy, you’re just getting older. The older we get, and the more of the world we’ve seen, we start to develop a routine. The days start to blend together, and time seems to pass us by. Relish every good moment you can, because there’s a good chance those moments will start to zoom by.
So you may be thinking now that there is nothing you can do about it. Don’t worry ageing is not the only reason why we feel like time flies by. And there are many ways in which you can slow down time.
As we get older we have fewer new experiences. Compared with childhood, adulthood has fewer new and memorable experiences. We often measure time by firsts; our first day our school, first kiss, first home, first child etc. When our memories are detailed, the moment seems to last longer. So when we get caught in dreaded autopilot mode, we’re racing through the day with no real detail of our surroundings. It’s like when you have a long commute to work sometimes, you get to your destination with no real memory of even driving there.
Stress and time pressure speeds up our day as well. The more things we have to do in less time, the more we feel like time flies by. The more stressed we are, the less likely we are to be focused and present on the moment we’re just trying to get through the day as quickly as possible. When we do that, we don’t have time to take in our surroundings and build detailed memories. Thus, our perception of time flies. Time passes by so fast because we have so much to do and not enough time in which to do everything.
How can we slow down time?
- Break out of your routine and try out new things.
Doing things like you have never done before is one way in which you can slow down time. Devote your time to learning a new skill rather than just watching TV. Spend your time productively. Next time you go on a vacation go to a place you have never gone before or do something you have never done before! Make a new memory.
- Live in the moment!
That is definitely one way in which you can really slow down time. I am still learning to do this myself. It’s tougher than we think. Meditation can help you slow down and focus and you don’t have to be deeply spiritual or religious to meditate either. It’s as simple as finding a quiet spot, counting to ten and focusing on your breath. Focusing on the present is all about being more mindful.
- Set realistic goals for your day.
Being a planner or an organizer will help you to feel accomplished at the end of a busy day. When you check things off the list you will begin to feel like you have done a lot.
- Stay intellectually curious.
You are never too old to learn. The world is evolving every day. There are new theories and discoveries. Keep updating your knowledge, this will also help you to have good conversations with people. By focusing on new things you will ground yourself in the present.
- Stop to catch your breath.
If you feel like your day is finishing too fast. Take a break from whatever you are doing immediately and take nice long breath. Look at your surrounding and appreciate it. This also helps you to live in the moment.
At present I feel like people rush through their day more and more. Life has become a race. We have so much to get done and so little time to do it. We don’t take time to really experience life. And before you know it you are older and full of regrets. So let’s make an effort to be more mindful and appreciate every moment.
Well, time flying by may also be an indication that you having a lot of fun. Isn’t this the case for anyone? Whenever you are on vacation or doing something fun the day ends too soon. So time flying by too fast is not always bad.
By Jithendri Gomes
(All images are courtesy of Google)
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