Do you remember when you were growing up as a kid and time seemed to last forever? Now, you can’t seem to understand just where the time goes. Well, you may be shocked to know that researchers may have come up with a working scientific explanation for this phenomenon.
Take for example this study by psychologists Sandra Lenhoff and Marc Whittman, formerly of the University of Munich. In a survey of nearly 500 people, with an age range of between 14 and 94 years, the participants reported the following:
- Shorter durations of time – a week or a month, for example – did not seem to be perceived differently with age. All ages instinctively see shorter periods of time as accelerating faster than they actually did.
- Longer durations of time – multiple years or a decade – were perceived as passing much more quickly by those in the higher age groups when compared to people in the lower to mid-aged groups.
- Conclusion: “When asked to reflect on their lives, the participants older than 40 felt that time elapsed slowly in their childhood but then accelerated steadily …”
How could we possibly perceive time as accelerating as we get older? Can there actually be a valid scientific explanation for this experience? Or is this perception of time acceleration more based on individual psychology than anything else?
Setting the stage, we’re going to discuss a pair of topics that, on the surface, couldn’t seem more far apart: aging and physics (really!). First, let’s discuss what happens at the biological level.
Two Different Perspectives on Aging
“People are often amazed at how much they remember from days that seemed to last forever in their youth. It’s not that their experiences were much deeper or more meaningful; it’s just that they were being processed in rapid fire.” – Adrian Bejan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University (source)
Adrian Bejan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, says that physics is at the heart of how we perceive time. More specifically, complex physics-based in neuroscience are behind how we perceive time.
Here’s the basic gist of Bejan’s theory in three main points:
- 1. During our “younger years” – especially in childhood – webs of brain cells undergo rapid growth change which causes them to lengthen. Maturing brain cells make it easy for electrical signals to “fire and wire” together.
- 2. After this initial neuronal growth spurt, brain cells begin to deteriorate and shrink in size, creating more resistance to the flow of electrical signals.
- 3. The rate at which mental images are acquired and processed is faster in (1) than in (2).
Since the rate at which we process mental images correlates with the perceived slowness and acceleration of time, respectively, the brain wires itself to see time as passing slower during earlier stages of development than in the later years. Basically, this “rapid firing” of mental images directly affects how fast or slow we perceive the passing of time.
Moreover, there are two unique ways in which the physics of the brain unfolds: (1) Prospective vantage: the perception of time as an event unfolds, and (2) Retrospective vantage: the perception of experiencing time after the event ends.
These vantage points are based on how the brain encodes new experiences into memory. More specifically, how the brain more readily encodes novel experiences and resists encoding the familiar.
Let’s say you went on a fun-filled vacation to your dream spot. No matter what you did while on vacation, you’ll probably remember both the fun and not-so-fun times in rather vivid detail. Why? Because these events occur in a novel setting and your brain highly engages with its environment.
“Time Flies When You’re Having Fun.”
Another thing. Did you know that time does indeed “fly when you’re having fun” and “slows to a crawl when bored out of your skull?” How in the heck can we explain this one?
Once again, the answer is rooted in neuroscience. While we’re having a grand ole’ time, the brain is busy “snapping” images and storing them into memory. As a result of this rapid-fire activity, the brain will see time as coming and going at an extraordinary rate. Of course, since the activity – whatever it is – is deeply enjoyable, we desire nothing more than for this “time flying” to cease.
“The same thing happens as we get older and time starts to speed up,” says psychologist and BBC broadcaster Claudia Hammond, “There are fewer memories of new things, and we do the same things more and more often.”
There is a silver lining to this whole experience, however, which may arguably carry more value, particularly as you age or have more people with whom to share your treasured memories. As you reminisce about the event later on in life, the time will retroactively seem to have gone much slower than it did at the time. As you’ll have an abundance of mental images from which to savor, you can treasure these moments in vivid detail.
Slowing Things Down
“Let any one try, I will not say to arrest, but to notice or attend to, the present moment of time. One of the most baffling experiences occurs. Where is it, this present? It has melted in our grasp, fled ere we could touch it, gone in the instant of becoming.” – William James in The Principles of Psychology (source)
A natural question to ask at this point is, “Well, what can I do to slow things down?” The answer may lie in mindfulness and paying closer attention.
The more attention we direct onto something, the more novel that thing becomes, and the more that time slows down. Fortunately, this concept doesn’t just apply to the enjoyable stuff that we experience for the first time.
Routine and even boring tasks may become more fulfilling and, thus, more memorable when done from a place of mindfulness. “Taking a different route to work, getting off your bus a stop early or avoiding having the same sandwich for lunch every day could make your life seem a bit slower,” says Hammond.
Training your brain to become more mindful is not an easy task. However, if you are patient enough to overcome your mind’s initial resistance, there are some remarkable benefits to reap.
Here are five ways of introducing mindfulness into your life:
1 – Practice mindfulness during routine activities:
While the statistics vary, most studies cite a number around 30 to 50 percent as the amount of time we spend mind-wandering. To overcome “autopilot” mode, practice paying attention to basic things like eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, or walking.
2 – Do it, but don’t overdo it:
“It” being mindful activity. 10 to 20 minutes may be the sweet spot, though you may find it difficult to stay with it this long at first. Five minutes is a good amount of time with which to start.
3 – Be kind to yourself:
It’s natural to want to continuously be mindful, especially when you notice how good it feels. However, it is important to remember that your brain takes time to retrain. When you notice that your mind has wandered away from the object of mindfulness – which it inevitably will – gently bring it back. Be patient with yourself!
4 – Be mindful while waiting:
Use mindfulness to help you overcome those things you find quite intolerable. Waiting in line or in heavy traffic seem to be popular choices. When you find yourself getting irritated, switch your attention from your feelings to the breath. Concentrate on the inhalation and exhalation while letting the other feelings just “be.” Deep breathing helps here.
5 – Practice meditation:
The research is in – and meditation is perhaps the best thing that you can possibly do for your mental and physical health. Per a report published by the National Institutes of Health, multiple studies appear to confirm that meditative practice helps with multiple mental and physical health conditions, including:
- Anxiety, depression, and insomnia
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Immune system-related disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Menopausal symptoms
- Stress-related inflammation
Final Thoughts on Why Time Accelerates During Aging
There seems to be little doubt that time accelerates as we age. But is this necessarily a bad thing? Like most other things in life, it depends on our approach and mindset. If we remain tuned out and on autopilot, not only will time blow by, but we’ll be much less happy as a result.
If, however, we can learn to pay more attention to the everyday things, both ordinary and extraordinary, we may find ourselves not only enjoying ourselves more – but for more extended periods.
11 – “The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change their future by merely changing their attitude.”
Take an honest, deep, hard look at yourself. Do you feel entitled to happiness? Do you feel afraid of success? Or, do you feel like victory will never be yours? If you don’t have the right attitude you will make things much tougher on yourself in the long run. You need to adjust your feelings to work with your goals. And don’t just work on them once and expect that to be it. Reassess your attitude on a regular basis to make sure you are where you need to be in that regard.
12 – “You can have it all. Just not at once.”
If you think being successful means running a company, being a great full-time parent, going on lots of vacations, and having tons of money in the bank, you may be leading yourself toward disappointment. If you focus your life on one thing, it will be hard to be as successful in other things. That doesn’t mean you can’t have other things. It just means you may need to focus on one main goal at a time and be okay with not doing quite as well with the other goals you have.
13 – “Often we don’t even realize who we’re meant to be because we’re so busy trying to live out someone else’s ideas. But other people and their opinions hold no power in defining our destiny.”
If you spend all of your time worrying about how others perceive you, you won’t have time to fulfill your dreams. You can’t let the judgments of others slow you down in your path or stop you from doing what you need to do to reach your goals. The only person whose opinion matters is your own.
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