Time seems to be one of the most valuable luxuries. AFAIK it is not entirely clear why time seems to pass faster when one grows older. One argument is that the older brain does not form memories as intricate as in the younger brain.

Has anyone experimented with actively making more complex memories to make time pass slower? Seems like the best approach to living longer, at least in experience.

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mavilia an hour ago | parent | next [-]

No direct answer, but I’ve personally noticed that having seasons makes a big difference here. After spending the past year on the East Coast with all of the different seasons, I certainly felt like time was going slower and looking back. It is pretty clear cut in my brain as to how much I did during that time.

That’s in contrast to where I normally live, which is southern California where you basically just go between Summer and Winter Lite which does seem to make the time pass quicker and lead to more routine living. I’ve often speculated with my friends around here about how there is a “Paradise Effect” of living here with both how people live their lives, as well as with how we perceive time.

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sersi an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I've found that traveling and discovering new things make time seem to pass slower because I have a lot of memories of those new places. On the other hand when I'm in a routine and keep doing the same thing everyday, it feels that time passes slower at the moment (because I'm bored) but looking back then time seems to have flown by

	▲	tmnvix an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Exactly my experience and fits with my idea of how time is perceived in general. Ask a young child what they did this last week and they can likely rattle off a whole bunch of things that they've learned/experienced/discovered for the first time - a lot of 'memory milestones'. Ask your average adult and you'll often just get "same same" - no new 'memory milestones' because the week was pretty much just a repeat of a regular routine. As for how it feels at the time. There's a lot of truth in the sayings "time flies when you're having fun" and "a watched pot never boils". It's a paradox.

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schaefer 17 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Go on a ten day meditation retreat.

Time will hit the breaks, hard.

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me_smith an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I’m trying to fight it by journaling more and trying to remember more of the details that make each day special (good or bad). Even the small things. Whether that is something I did with my son, or something I did slightly different for a routine task.

	▲	DenisM 35 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Does it work? Journaling is a major commitment, I hope it pays for itself.

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bluebarbet an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

If you spend a year in prison then the time will pass incredibly slowly, but in retrospect (this is what prisoners usually say) the ordeal will seem quite short. Conversely, if you spend the year furiously partying or traveling or trying new adventure sports then the retrospective memory will be full to the brim, but the year itself will pass in an instant.

It all seems quite logical to me. There's no negotiating with the passage of time.

	▲	lexandstuff 15 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I worked in a mattress factory for a while, doing the same repetitive task day in and out. I remember feeling like the days passed painfully slowly, but the years flew by.