Why time begins to flow faster with age
Endless summer from childhood ends, time starts to move faster and faster. With this sad fact, sooner or later everyone faces.
There are various theories why this happens. The most logical is that in childhood and adolescence we are constantly doing something for the first time. The first kiss, the first night out, the first love, the first day at school or university, the first car … Each such first event captivates and makes us remember the smallest details. And the more we remember it, the more saturated it seems.
When we experience this experience again and again, there is no longer that novelty. Therefore time is accelerating.
We experience a similar state on vacation. The first few days do not fly as fast as the next few days. This is due to the fact that in the second part of the trip the environment becomes more and more familiar.
Neuroscientist David Eagleman, who studies the perception of time, calls it an elastic thing that changes depending on how tightly we interact with our experience. The stronger this connection, the slower the time moves.
Time slows down if we are careful. Because we just start to notice more.
This is especially true during emergencies or some traumatic events, because in this case we are more likely to focus on details. If you once got into a car accident, then for sure you remember the feeling that the ambulance rides for ages.
How to slow down time
If time depends on our perception, then we are able to slow it down.
A good way is to train awareness.
This can be done during a meal, slowly and for a long time savoring each piece of food. In Buddhist practice, this is called conscious nutrition.
Another way is to stay in nature, watching water or trees and listening to birds singing.
Another great method is to recall in detail your past experience and share it with other people, verbally or in writing.
Here are a few topics that you can use for this exercise:
- Write about the special moments of last year.
- Write about all the moments related to the birth or death that affected you.
- Write about the achievements that you are proud of.
- Write a letter of thanks to someone who has done something good for you.
- Write about a new passion.
- Write about any positive transformations in your life.
Other ways of developing awareness are described in these articles:
- 5 Simple Ways to Develop Mindfulness for Those Who Hate Meditating →
- How to make your life aware →
- 7 simple techniques for increasing awareness →
- Learning from the Special Forces →
