How to slow down time

You know that “time flies” feeling? Well, it turns out there are neurological reasons for it.

The older we get, the fewer new things we experience and learn. Our brains are built to preserve energy, so when there’s a lot of routine in our lives, we tune out the mundane and go on a kind of auto-pilot that makes us feel like time is floating by. The less attention we pay to the moment we’re in, the faster it seems to move.

So how can we slow down time? By introducing more new experiences into our lives and by pausing to appreciate more moments every day. The more present we are, the more beauty we notice around us. The more we pause to actually experience the moment we’re in, the slower time will move.

Try this:

Pause to appreciate at least 3 beautiful things around you today. They can be anything — a dramatic sky, an amazing taste, a beautiful person, a special feeling. During that pause, really stop and pay attention. Inhale the beauty. Be there with it. Then notice if the time is flying by just a little bit slower.