I've been hearing this a lot lately, especially after the start of the pandemic -- that time is going faster. Something weird is definitely happening in regard to our perception of time in the COVID-19 era. But what is it. After doing a little digging, I discovered some interesting
facts.
We process memories in 'chunks,' which chunking means we tend to group individual experiences together. When we have experiences that occur regularly, we'll chunk them together into a category, which loses the specific detail(s) of the individual incidents. As a result, we feel like we've had fewer experiences. These chunks make us feel as if time has flown by. The pandemic has exaggerated that feeling for some of us.
Think about it -- when you experience something out of the ordinary, such as travel or vacations, the time can seem longer than normal. A trip to the beach can feel like a month went by. Summer break as a kid seemed to go on forever. These events are different than the normal schedule so the particulars and details surrounding them are handled differently; thus, time is extended because so much has
occurred.
Following a set schedule and processing from one task to the next, continuously looking forward to the next event, life will seem like it's rushing by. If life seems to be zipping along, change things up and present new actions, experiences, and
events.
But keep in mind that multi-tasking mixes up brain energy waves to create a tidal-wave energy effect which twists time perception. Focus on one task at a time to slow time down. Besides, the ability to multitask is a misconception because you’re not juggling many tasks at once. You're
actually simply switching quickly between tasks, and when you do this, you’re not giving any task meaningful attention, which is counterproductive, lacks focus, and negatively effects your perception of time.
Busyness isn't a virtue nor an attribute to envy or strive for. Sure we all have our times where life is crazy hectic, but living like this is not sustainable or fulfilling (think burnout). It's okay to prioritize and say 'no.' Make time for things that should be a priority, but also make time for new, out of the ordinary, and out of your routine experiences. If you're not having new experiences, life will seem like one chunk of a
memory.
If you live in a mode of reacting, time feels like it's fleeting or that we're chasing it. We don't feel as we're making time but rather we're being moved forward. Time is not constricted when slowed; however, time is pressed if we are not cognizant of it. Have some moments of boredom,
daydreaming, and reflection during each day to restore your brain power and slow down time.
Also, have new accomplishments, learn new things, and grow every day. Think about it -- when you are a kid, you accomplished a lot more and new stuff than as an adult, whether getting through classes in school, learning new information and skills, and participating in extra activities.
As we get older and do the same job every day (and every year), each is the same as the last. Like the saying goes, "Time goes fast when you're wasting it."
And new accomplishments don't have to be anything extravagant. Think about driving to a new location, and how the drive seems to take forever. But then, the first time driving back seems to go faster. Our neural pathways have already sped up the processing, which is such a great reminder to keep learning, to keep growing, and to keep putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations to not only make time go slower, but to also accomplish our purpose.
Make a habit of welcoming new experiences into your life, celebrate your achievements, and practice mindfulness and reflection to create a sequence of memories you can reflect on. Now is also a great time to take up a new hobby, such as learning to cook or conversational Spanish,
building an art gallery, or adopting a new pet. Take yourself beyond the routine and redundant 'Groundhog Day' existence by making life bigger and filled with new options.
Hey lads - I would like to hear about your opinions, please. Do I have to change something?
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