The weekend goes by in a flash, but the last few hours at work seem endless, especially when you have big plans for the night. The saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” but surely sucking the life out of your existence cannot be the solution. While we cannot travel or manipulate time, we can develop habits that will make our days feel longer.
Stop scrolling
Endless scrolling through social media leads to a distorted sense of time, numerous studies proved. To make the most of your day, limit your social media use and use that time to reconnect with something more productive, even as simple as taking a walk.
Manage your time
Take a blank piece of paper and write down what’s both important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important yet urgent, and not important nor urgent. Dividing tasks will help you with time management and give you control over how you spend it.
Be here now
Practicing mindfulness can help you stay in the moment, allowing you to experience time at a slower rate. That’s because all your senses simultaneously focus on what is happening now. There is no pressure of what’s to come or regret of what was. Being present will make joyful moments more vivid and meaningful.
Plan ahead
To allow yourself to be in the moment and achieve balance, set goals for the upcoming weekend, for example. You want to get the most out of your time off but still need proper rest. By creating goals and planning, you reduce stress and give yourself time to dedicate to your goals.
Surprise yourself
While roughly planning your day will give you a sense of calm, having a spontaneous decision will give your brain something new to process, resulting in time appearing to move slower. Many people believe having a schedule means not letting yourself loose, but it’s the opposite. You first need to learn time management and then give your brain something fresh to process.
Small tasks of great importance
Get into daily routines, like making your bed or folding fresh laundry. The stress-reducing effect of these small, everyday tasks will give you an advantage when working on a big project. Making your bed, for example, is also a signal that your day is about to start, and it is another positive of having a routine.
Invest in relationships
Time is valuable, so wasting it means wasting your life. That’s why surrounding yourself with loving, interesting people can make a meaningful impact on your sense of time – you learn to appreciate it. Instead of spending time glued to your couch while going through various scenarios regarding your work or romantic life, get up and meet up with your friends for coffee.
Stretch time with learning
Invest time learning new skills to make your brain pay attention to every detail and give you the feeling that time is moving slower. It can be learning to play the piano, upgrading your professional knowledge, or learning a new language. It doesn’t matter what it is as long as your brain gets new material to process it.
Work vs. play
Create boundaries between your work and private life. Do not check your email once you’re off the clock. If that’s not possible, limit yourself to checking it two times a day, for example. Creating stronger work/life boundaries can make your fun times feel a bit longer, or at the very least, you will learn their actual value.
Be realistic
Most people put too many things on their plate, so they get stressed out and feel that time is sleeping away from them, yet they have not moved an inch. Instead of overworking yourself, try to divide your tasks and stay in the moment. It will not stop the clocks but will not allow you to feel that time’s running from you.
Tame anticipatory anxiety
If your big work project is coming up in three days, you might start feeling like you’re spiraling. That anticipatory anxiety will blur the upcoming minutes, hours, and days, so try to focus on deep breathing, get some exercise, or vent to your friends. It will give you a greater sense of accomplishment and give your brain something to process while reducing stress levels.
Lean into new experiences
Change your routine because a lack of new experiences can make time pass faster. This phenomenon of time perception is nothing new, and numerous studies have confirmed that stepping outside your everyday habits helps you get more out of a day.
