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.

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.