When you think back to when you were a child, the stretch from one Christmas to the next could almost feel like an eternity.
As an adult, you might find yourself wondering how it’s already Christmas again.
For many, it feels like time accelerates as we get older.
Research offers some explanations for why this happens.
New experiences make time feel slower
Annonse
According to Ignacio Polti, a neuroscientist at the Kavli Institute, new impressions and experiences can make time seem to pass more slowly.
As children, we encounter new experiences more often. You do something new, see something new, and taste something new all the time. These new impressions are processed extra thoroughly in the brain and become lasting memories.
The brain does this so it can use past experiences to adapt and prepare for future situations.
"As we grow older, life tends to become more monotonous. You may get the sense that time is speeding up because familiar events and routines don’t register as strongly in the brain," says Polti.
Ignacio Polti, researcher at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience.(Photo: NTNU)
"Clock time is a construct"
Polti explains that there's a clear difference between how a clock shows the passage of time and how the brain actually experiences it.
"Time, as illustrated by the clock, is a construct. When the brain measures time, it does so based on the amount of change it perceives," he says.
Polti distinguishes between two ways of perceiving time: prospective and retrospective.
Prospective time perception refers to how the brain senses and tracks time in the moment.
"If I ask you to clap your hands in 10 seconds, you'll be aware that time is passing during those seconds. Another example is when you're sitting in your car waiting for the light to turn green," he says.
Retrospective time perception is how the brain later estimates how much time has passed.
"If someone asks how long it’s been since you had breakfast, your brain uses memories and details from that period to make an estimate," he explains.
The brain relies on retrospective timing when you’re not consciously paying attention to time passing – which is often the case when you’re busy with daily routines and tasks.
Imagine you're on holiday
Annonse
Polti illustrates how our sense of time can shift depending on whether we experience it in the moment or look back on it later.
Imagine you're going on a one-week trip to Alicante.
While you're there, you explore new places, try unfamiliar foods, and do things you haven't done before. Because you're busy and having fun, you hardly notice time passing.
On your way home, your flight is delayed by three hours. You keep checking the time to avoid missing your departure and grow restless while waiting.
From a prospective point of view – in the moment – time in Alicante seems to fly by because you're enjoying yourself and not paying attention to time. The wait at the airport, however, feels endless since you’re aware of every passing minute and have nothing stimulating to do.
From a retrospective point of view – afterwards – the experience is the opposite. Once you're back home and think about your week in Alicante, it can feel as though you were gone for a very long time. That's because your brain is filled with new impressions and strong memories from the trip. The long wait at the airport, which felt endless at the time, suddenly doesn't seem that long at all, since nothing particularly memorable happened during those hours.
"The more change and novelty the brain registers, the longer it estimates that time has passed," explains Polti.
The key to a slower everyday life
If you feel like time keeps slipping through your fingers, Polti offers advice on how to trick your brain into perceiving time as moving more slowly.
"As we get older, life tends to become more monotonous and structured. The key is to learn new things and introduce small changes into your routines. It doesn't have to be dramatic. Learn to cook new dishes, try a new hobby, or take a walk somewhere you've never been before," he says.
