The way we perceive time is individual and highly subjective. When we are bored, time seems to move so slowly. When we are having fun, time moves quickly. Researchers are studying our perception of time and its implications for life. I believe that we view time differently based on our age as well.
Time seems to fly when you are over 50. This is my age category. I think that may be the reason some older people are so impatient. They understand that time is limited, and they do not take it for granted. Standing in line, waiting does not fit into their schedule. There are many things to accomplish and they want to fit in as much living as possible. I believe I have reached this stage. Do not waste my time or put me on hold.
Children
Children have no concept of time. Order, structure, and sequencing are formally introduced in schools. Both are reinforced over time until we are conditioned to watch the clock.
When we traveled with our young daughters, they used to ask how long it would take to reach our destination. Their dad cleverly used their favorite cartoons to provide a frame of reference for them. He would say something like “it will take us 3 episodes of Totally Spies.” When we were close to our destination he would say “we only have one more episode of Totally Spies to go.” Totally Spies was a 30-minute animated series about three teenage girls. They attended high school and worked as undercover spies. It was a superhero, girl power action series.
Teens
Teenagers and young adults seem to view time as an unlimited entity. The here and now is right now and yet there is always tomorrow. Let us have fun now. Work or chores can wait until tomorrow.
While I say all of this with a bit of facetiousness, we are all aware of the value of having time to do those things we desire.
The question is how to add more time to your day. Conventional wisdom would suggest that we use tools to add order, structure, or sequence to our activities. To do lists, calendars, reminder notifications are supposed to keep us organized. Many believe they help us to manage our time better. I use calendars and scheduling apps to keep me on track. Occasionally I use my phone reminder app. These are wonderful and useful tools.
We are unable to “add” more time to our day. We can, however, alter our perception of how we experience time throughout the day.
Try Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an effective way to experience the day. Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
Evidence suggests that mindfulness training elongates our perception of time. Kramer et al 2013 found that when participants completed a task after meditation, they overestimated the time it took them. One explanation for this is that meditation slows down the intensity of brainwaves. A study conducted in Norway found that meditation took away rumination and lowered the intensity of brain activity. This resulted in an elongation of time. How to Manage Time Better with Mindfulness
Manage Attention
Our focus should revolve around managing our attention instead of managing time. Time as we experience it, does not change. Our perception of time fluctuates.
In a quickly changing world, effective people will need to clearly see as much as clearly think. The starting point of this is managing attention and focus. So many stimuli compete for attention, any hope for effectiveness rests on being more conscious of how you use it alone and together with others. Manage Your Attention, Not Your Time
Prioritize Outcomes
Take a look at how you spend your days. Do you spend most of your time with what is important to you or what others want you to do? Though it might seem wonderful to spend all your time on what you want to do, being out of balance in that way probably means that you are not paying attention to the people in your life and perhaps to goals that you need to accomplish to have the life you want to live. Having too many demands may mean that there is no time for you, and you may become resentful of giving to others. Too Busy to Live: Mindfulness of Priorities
Trying these three suggestions will give you the impression that you have more time in your day.
“I want to be happy, whole, satisfied and successful. What about you?”
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