Sometimes an hour feels like seconds, other times it feels like a day. Our sense of time is capricious and depends on numerous factors. But: We can learn to influence it. At least a bit.
Time is a crazy thing. When we’re waiting for the bus or sitting in the dentist’s chair, a minute quickly feels like an hour. And then there are moments when several hours feel like a snap of the fingers or activities where we ask ourselves afterwards where the time actually went.
So a minute is not just a minute. How we perceive time is highly individual and depends on several factors. You probably also know the feeling that time seems to pass faster as you get older. On the one hand, this is because we are doing new things less and less often. And – research is now certain of this – when we experience something new, we look back as if time had passed more slowly.
From first times to routines
Memory plays a large role in our perception of time. The psychologist Marc Wittmann wrote a whole book about it called “Feeling Time”. In it he describes, among other things, that experiences that are new, exciting or emotional are particularly memorable. This is also the reason why adults can often remember their youth well while thinking about what they actually did last week.
As you grow up, when more and more routines creep in and the many “first times” of youth slowly begin to replace you, time feels like it passes faster and faster – because your memory doesn’t store habits as meticulously as it does new stimuli. Instead of a detailed film, we only see the highlights of our lives. And we feel like time is literally running out.
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In addition to the fact that we simply no longer experience as much, neurobiological factors also play a role in the shift in our perception of time. According to a study from Duke University, the increasing complexity of our nervous system means that we no longer absorb as many stimuli as we did when we were younger. And the smaller number of impressions that make it into memory gives the impression that time flies.
Where has my sense of time gone?
But it’s not just adulthood per se that influences our perception of time. Our genes do this too. “Animals and small children can also perceive differences in the duration of stimuli. Therefore, one can assume that the perception of time is innate,” writes scientist Isabelle Winkler from Chemnitz University of Technology in an article on the University website. She has been researching our perception of time for years.
But her explanation is about much more than increasing age: “One factor is the so-called arousal, i.e. physical or emotional activation. If someone is very activated, the duration seems longer to the person.” This is the case, for example, when we are under stress or are doing physical activity. A high level of arousal causes our internal clock to produce more beats. “If, on the other hand, the attention is on time, then the perception of time is more intense.” For example, when we wait and constantly look at the clock.
We usually focus on the clock when we are bored. In moments when we are happy, this almost never happens. On the contrary: we often get a shock when we look at the clock because we have completely lost track of time. The happiness hormone dopamine is to blame for this. The more we enjoy a moment, the faster it passes subjectively.
What really sticks in our minds
In summary, time passes faster when we do something that makes us happy, is new to us or challenges us physically and emotionally. But these are also the moments that we remember later, looking back, much longer than those in which we watch the second hand make its rounds and time seems to drag on like chewing gum. In case of doubt, they don’t even end up in the long-term memory and are quickly forgotten.
But how can we specifically influence our sense of time so that our time in life doesn’t run away from us? The first step is certainly to leave room for new experiences every now and then, in addition to important and correct routines and habits. For example, plan to try something new or meet new people once a month. This can delay the perceived time.
When time stands still
But sometimes there are moments when we would only like to stop time. But just then it goes away even faster. Since our body feeling is closely linked to our sense of time, there are two simple methods that allow at least short stops. On the one hand, it can help to breathe consciously for a few seconds and listen to your heartbeat. This takes you out of the situation emotionally and also grounds your subjective perception of time.
If that’s not enough, you can take a mental snapshot. You try to perceive the moment with all your senses and take a photo of it in your head. Through the intensive examination of the situation, time feels like it stands still – at least for this one moment.
Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the annoying waiting times when time plays tricks on us and just doesn’t want to pass. One thing in particular helps in these situations: distraction. When we play on our smartphones, talk to other people or listen to music, we give time at least a little nudge in the right direction. And if that doesn’t work, we’ll soon have the whole thing covered up in our memory with beautiful moments.
Those: Chemnitz University of Technology, “Feeling Time” by Marc Wittmann, study by Cambridge University
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