Is time passing quickly? A little too quick? A new month is here but it is suddenly August. Some believe that time just plays tricks on them, and others believe that it could be due to the ways of the world today. So, what exactly is it that makes us feel like the years are slipping by fast?
In 2019, psychologist Steve Taylor wrote an article for ScienceAlert. He suggested that there may be a link between human psychology and our individual perceptions of time. Depending on the person, the amount of information the mind processes determines if we feel as though time is ticking at a faster or slower rate. Taylor implies that “information” can be anything we perceive, think, or feel within our minds as we navigate daily life. Once a person becomes desensitized to their experience in life, they start to process less information. With less information being processed, the brain begins to feel as though time is speeding up. This is why it seems like there is all the time in the world to do anything in our youth and not enough time for anything as we age.
A 2022 HuffPost article featured Cindy Lustig and Adrian Bejan sharing some insight about how our brains, as we either age or make life changes, can affect our perceptions of time. Lustig, a psychologist and professor, explained that reminiscing on the past may be contributing to the feeling of time accelerating. When life slows down, there are fewer things happening in our everyday life as opposed to when we were younger. Bejan, a mechanical engineering professor and author, briefly suggested that our brains are designed to record change. When our routines are jam packed with so many events and experiences, it can appear that time is plentiful. If a person’s daily routine is not changing often, their brain will blend the time together making it seem as if it is moving faster.
Time will always move forward; this is a given. “Our time” in our lives can drag or go in flash. It is all depending on our abilities to remain present and challenge ourselves to break away from monotony. Just living life, learning new things, and focusing on right now helps our brains believe there is more than enough time.
Signal + Void 