“Where does the time go?” and “time goes by too quickly” are common refrains at the end of a weekend or calendar year.
While there is no way to actually slow down time, there may be a reason why it flies by so fast – and your strict weekly routine may be the culprit. Rigidity and a lack of novelty can actually make it feel like your life is going by faster than you want.
In a viral post on X, retired neurosurgeon Dr. Brian Hoeflinger shared insight on routine’s impact on the passage of time and ways to make it feel like it’s moving slower.
“Repetitive daily routines stop the brain from recording clear detailed memories,” Hoeflinger wrote on X. “When every day looks the same, your brain does not track time the same as a clock does. It tracks change. If nothing new happens then days, months, and years start to blur together.”
“This is known as time compression. When life lacks variety, your brain compresses past days together, making it feel like time is sped up,” he continued.
To make time feel like it’s passing more slowly – ...
English (US)