Ever feel like time is accelerating as you get older? You’re not alone. Our brains have a fascinating way of warping the passage of time, often leaving us disoriented.
The quip “By 21, you’ve lived half your life—perceptually” highlights how our internal clock runs on dopamine. New experiences flood our brains with dopamine, making time feel slower. Conversely, routine and familiarity speed it up. As novelty fades, so does our perception of time’s fullness.
But here’s the good news: we can expand our perception of time. While my work in Longevity focuses on adding more years to our lives, we can also add more life to our years by enriching our memory reels. Thickening the number of memorable episodes is often easier and more certain than trying to create more time.
Mathematically speaking, we’re swimming against the tide. A year represents 10% of a 10-year-old’s life but only 2% for a 50-year-old. This relative decrease makes each passing year feel less significant, contributing to the sensation that time accelerates as we age.
The Paradoxes of Time
We all perceive time subjectively, a concept exemplified by Kronos (chronological time) and Kairos (qualitative time). The paradox is that perceiving time and remembering time are very different. Often, they are inversely related—experiences that feel long while happening fade quickly from memory, while brief episodes can leave lasting impressions.
- The Holiday Paradox: Waiting at the airport feels slow and tedious but often disappears from memory, while an exciting holiday seems to pass quickly yet feels longer in retrospect due to the richness of the experience.
- The Fading Affect Bias: Negative emotions fade faster than positive ones in our memories. Even painful experiences become less intense over time, so there’s no need to fear how we’ll feel about them later.
So, how can we slow down life’s acceleration? We can pull several levers: emotional anchors, novelty anchors, reflection anchors, and mindfulness.
Emotional Anchors
Studies with skydivers show that emotional priming affects our perception of time. Those primed with fear experienced a slower passage of time during their jumps than those primed with excitement. Ironically, while fearful moments feel longer during the experience, they contribute to a richer memory later.
Practical tip: seek new emotions across the spectrum. A play, something daring or a new connection can make a day worth remembering.
Novelty Anchors
Introducing novelty interrupts routine and forces us out of autopilot. Learning a new skill, taking a different route, or meeting new people creates anchors of novelty that expand our perception of time. When we’re bored, minutes drag on, but time feels fuller when we’re engaged in new experiences.
Practical tip: Limit passive entertainment like mindless scrolling or excessive TV watching. Reducing these “inverse flow” activities frees up time for more engaging experiences.
Reflection Anchors
Reflection helps us focus on how few days are truly memorable. Journaling is a powerful tool here. It allows us to capture and revisit memories and refresh our highlight reel, enhancing our appreciation of time well spent.
Practical tip: At the end of each day, ask yourself, “What was the most story-worthy moment of my day?” This simple question creates an anchor of reflection.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the age-old practice that helps us transition from Kronos to Kairos. By being fully present, we can slow down our perception of time. This “forced pause” makes everyday moments more vivid and memorable.
Practical tip: If meditation is not for you, deepen social connections. Engaging in meaningful conversations and forming new relationships creates memorable moments that stretch your perception of time.
Maximise the Number of Memory Blocks
In the highlight reel of our lives, what matters is the number of distinct memories we create. These memories anchor our perception of time, making it feel more expansive and better spent. As my dad likes to say, youth is “having more dreams than memories.”
Or, as Kevin Kelly eloquently put it: “The chief prevention against getting old is to remain astonished.”
So let’s strive to remain astonished, seek out new experiences, and savour each moment. By doing so, we become expert timekeepers, enriching our lives in length and in depth.
