Time at Life’s Crossroads: Profound Opportunity and Fading Presence

Time in childhood feels like an endless river. A single day in childhood can feel like an entire lifetime, and the months and seasons seem to stretch on forever. The excitement of summer holidays, where each day is filled with adventure, discovery, and unstructured play, made time feel expansive. However, as we grow older, that perception of time changes. Suddenly, years pass in what feels like the blink of an eye. The holidays seem to come faster each year, and our days often blur into one another, indistinguishable from the next.

This paradox—where time seems to slow down in childhood and accelerate in adulthood—is a deeply rooted psychological experience, one that can leave many wondering why time feels like it’s running away as we get older.

Why Does Time Feel Like It Passes So Quickly as We Grow Older?

The feeling that life seems to move faster as we age can be explained by how our brain processes experiences and memories. As children, each new experience is a source of intense learning and novelty. Every year feels long because our brains are actively storing rich, detailed memories of new experiences. These experiences serve as markers that make each passing moment memorable. For adults, however, life tends to settle into predictable routines. Repetition and lack of novelty mean fewer new memories are formed.

The brain processes these familiar events more quickly, leading to the perception that everything is flying by. As we get older, we often get caught in the cyclical nature of work, responsibilities, and routine, making each day seem indistinguishable from the one before.

The Psychology of Time Perception

Psychologists have studied human perception extensively, and many theories exist about why life seems to move differently at various stages. According to Christopher Dwyer, a psychologist from the Technological University of the Shannon, the speed at which life feels like it passes is largely due to how our minds experience change. In childhood, every new experience is a source of learning and cognitive growth, which makes life feel long and rich. By contrast, adults tend to engage in fewer novel activities.

When you do the same thing every day, your brain doesn’t form many new memories. Instead, it processes repetitive events as if they are just an extension of the same experience, causing the years to blend together and life to feel as though it is moving faster.

Why Does Time Feel Slow in Childhood? The Developmental Aspect

When we are children, life feels slow because every new event is memorable and unique. For a 10-year-old, an entire year constitutes 10% of their life—so a year feels like a substantial portion of their existence. Meanwhile, for an adult in their 40s or 50s, a year is a much smaller fraction of their life. Children are also undergoing rapid growth, both physically and emotionally. They experience new milestones—learning to walk, going to school for the first time, making friends, or discovering new hobbies.

These changes make life feel rich, full, and expansive. The frequency of new experiences gives them a sense of life’s “width.” This developmental aspect of childhood creates the impression that everything is moving slowly, allowing every moment to feel significant and drawn out.

Why New Experiences Slow Down Time

One of the most effective ways to slow down the pace of life is through novelty. The more new experiences we have, the fuller and longer life feels. This is why vacations, travel, and major life events like moving to a new city or starting a new job often make days feel stretched out. When we expose ourselves to new activities—whether traveling to a different country, picking up a new hobby, or simply exploring a new neighborhood—we create fresh memories.

These memories add richness to our lives and make us feel like we’ve truly lived through each experience. Psychologists explain that novelty provides cognitive markers, which act as anchors in our memory. Without these markers, experiences feel compressed, and life seems to rush past us.

The Power of Routine

Routine is another crucial factor in how we perceive the passage of life. As adults, much of our daily existence is dictated by habit. We wake up at the same hour each day, go to work, attend meetings, and complete similar tasks. While routines can provide comfort and structure, they also make life feel as though it is accelerating.

When events are repeated day after day, the brain doesn’t need to engage with each experience deeply. As a result, fewer new memories are created, which makes life feel as though it is slipping by unnoticed. This is why we often look back on an entire year and wonder where it went—because the routine we followed didn’t leave enough vivid memories behind.

Breaking the Cycle

To counteract the effects of routine and make life feel more expansive, it’s essential to break the cycle. Introducing change—whether through travel, learning something new, or simply altering your daily habits—can help slow the overall pace of life. When you engage in new and unfamiliar activities, your brain processes the information more intensely, which leads to the creation of richer, more detailed memories.

This phenomenon explains why vacations often feel longer than they actually are: unfamiliar experiences stretch our perception of duration. You don’t need to travel far to experience novelty—sometimes even trying a new hobby, meeting new people, or exploring a different part of your town can create the same effect.

The Role of Mindfulness: Living in the Present to Stretch Time

Another powerful tool for making life feel slower is mindfulness. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in thoughts about the future or the past. We often worry about what’s coming next, which causes us to miss what is happening right now. Practicing mindfulness—being fully aware and present in whatever you are doing—can help change how life is experienced. Whether it’s enjoying a meal, having a conversation, or taking a walk, mindfulness encourages deep focus on the present moment.

By engaging fully with what is happening rather than rushing through it, you can create a sense of expansion in daily experience. Research shows that when we are mindful, experiences are remembered more vividly, which makes life feel richer, fuller, and less rushed.

Engaging in Creative Activities

Creativity plays an important role in making time feel longer and more meaningful. Creative activities, whether it’s painting, writing, playing a musical instrument, or even gardening, require focus and mental energy. When you’re engaged in a creative pursuit, you enter a flow state, where time seems to disappear. This paradoxical sensation of time stretching while being deeply immersed in an activity is a hallmark of creativity. By cultivating creativity in your life, you give yourself the opportunity to live more fully in the moment, which enriches your perception of time. Starting a new creative project can be a transformative experience, offering a sense of accomplishment and joy.

The Joy of Learning

Learning something new is one of the most effective ways to make time feel fuller. When you take up a new hobby or skill—whether it’s learning a new language, taking up photography, or trying your hand at cooking—you create a series of first-time experiences. These experiences are memorable and help you build a sense of progress in life. Psychologists argue that learning is an inherently time-expanding activity. The challenge of mastering something new requires focus and determination, which, in turn, makes time feel more substantial. As you look back on the process of learning, it feels like a longer period of growth and development.

Spending Time with Those You Love

In addition to creating novel experiences for yourself, spending quality time with loved ones can help make time feel more meaningful. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often forget to truly connect with the people around us. Whether it’s a family dinner, a walk with a friend, or a deep conversation with a partner, these moments of connection are some of the most fulfilling. When you spend time with loved ones, the hours seem to stretch longer because the experience is rich in emotional connection. Research shows that meaningful social interactions not only enhance our well-being but also help us feel that time is more full.

Gratitude and Reflection

Practicing gratitude and reflection is another way to make time feel more expansive. In our fast-paced world, we often move from one thing to the next without pausing to appreciate what we’ve experienced. Taking time to reflect on your day, your accomplishments, or the people in your life can help slow down time. By recognizing the beauty and value in the small moments, you begin to create a more detailed and fulfilling memory of your experiences. Gratitude, when practiced regularly, can shift your focus away from what’s missing in your life and toward what you already have, which in turn helps you feel more present and aware of time.

Time and Aging Accepting the Flow of Life

As we grow older, it’s natural to feel like time is moving too fast. But rather than resisting this reality, it’s important to accept the flow of life. Aging is a natural part of the human experience, and with age comes wisdom and perspective. Learning to embrace each stage of life can help you savor the moments that truly matter.

The key is not to try to stop time but to engage with it in a way that makes each moment meaningful. By focusing on the richness of experience rather than the speed of time, we can learn to live fully and appreciate the journey.