Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so.
–Ford Prefect, from Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
When one of my granddaughters was an infant and the other a toddler, I had them a few times a week for fourteen-hour days. There were times when I felt like the day was never going to end. Time absolutely dragged.
Conversely, when I’m writing or crafting, I completely lose track of time.
If only there were a way to speed time up when we’re bored or overwhelmed and to slow it down when we’re having fun.
Guess what—there is.
I just read an interesting study where participants engaged in various activities. They had a clock that was either accurate or artificially sped up. Those with the sped-up times believed the activity was more enjoyable because they were tricked into thinking time had flown by.
Time flies when you’re having fun, after all.
Here’s a thought experiment for you. Think of a time you went to a theme park. The wait for the ride seemed endless, didn’t it? Especially compared to the time on the ride. But which do you remember more of? Most likely, it’s the ride. You remember how fun and thrilling it was. And you probably remember the amount of time the ride lasted incorrectly, thinking it was longer than it was because you were completely absorbed in the experience.
If you want to slow down time, pay attention to it. Savor what you’re doing. Bring your attention to the moment. See everything from the outside with fresh eyes.
If you want to speed up time, don’t look at the clock. That’s the worst thing you can do. If you’re stuck in traffic, notice the trees on the side of the rode. In an airport, you can people-watch. If time is standing still in a boring meeting, doodle or play buzzword bingo. In other words, find a fun distraction.
If the years seem to be flying by, it’s due to something called memory consolidation. You need new experiences so that your brain has more to process. Go somewhere new. Learn something new. Read a book from a different genre than your usual one.
When you find you can manipulate time, you’ll feel the power and magic that were in you all along.
