Why Does Time Speed Up as We Age

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Remember those endless days of childhood when summer seemed to stretch on forever? Now, as adults, many of us feel like time slips through our fingers, with packed schedules and constant busyness. On this episode of the Mental Health-ish Podcast, we reflect on why time feels like it accelerates as we age.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, welcome back to the Mental Health-ish
Podcast.
We are in the middle ofDecember and I think Christmas
is in two weeks.
Yeah, christmas is in two weeksand the year 2025 is in three
weeks.
Can you believe that I was justthinking about this the other
day of how the year went bysuper fast and I feel like I say

(00:22):
that to myself every year superfast, and I feel like I say
that to myself every year.
Like once December hits, oncethe holidays hit, I realized
like damn, the year went byreally fast and it didn't used
to be that way.
I feel like it started feelingthis way as an adult, especially
after having kids.
I feel like time just feelslike it speeds up and it goes by

(00:45):
really, really fast.
Like Emma's literally eightyears old now.
That's crazy to me, but when Ithink back like eight years ago
or even before she was born, Ican't remember feeling like time
was going by fast.
I think I was just kind ofliving life and not really
paying attention, I feel.

(01:07):
So I started thinking about this, like why does this feel like
time is going by fast?
And it was so funny because Ialways talk about themes, right,
and like paying attention tothemes throughout the week of
lessons, you know, being thrownat me things like that.
So I was thinking about thatone morning, right when I was in

(01:29):
bed, about how time goes by, isgoing by so fast, and I was
even thinking to myself like istime being sped up now?
Like what's going on, you know?
But anywho, I jumped ontoTikTok after that, like that
same morning, and one of my well, one of my acquaintances, I

(01:49):
guess you could say was on liveand literally as soon as I like
I was just scrolling on TikTokand then as soon as I came up on
his live, he was literallysaying the same thing, like he
was talking about how time isgoing by so fast and he feels
like time is going by so fast.
And I was like, oh my gosh, Iwas literally just thinking that

(02:10):
right now, like literallybefore I went on TikTok.
So I thought that was funny andso I realized like you know,
this is something that we're allfeeling in some way about time
and how fast it's going.
All feeling in some way abouttime and how fast it's going,
especially now as adults.
So, yeah, I kind of wanted tofigure out why does it feel?

(02:34):
Why does time feel like it goesby faster as an adult and I
didn't realize it.
I mean, of course, I felt like,well, because we're like, if
you're, I guess I could speakfor myself.
I mean, I'm working, usuallylike I work full time, and then
I do other things outside ofwork, like record this podcast,
or you know, I'm doing YouTubevideos, or I'm like recording
videos for Instagram with Emmaor, you know, taking Emma to her

(02:59):
appointments, going to my ownappointments, like Dennis
appointments, so like there'salways something to do, right.
So I feel like when you're justconstantly on the go and you're
just always doing somethingyour schedule's always packed
you can't seem to catch a break.
You know, when you're busy, Ifeel like time feels like it

(03:20):
goes by faster because you don'treally have time to slow down
and really do anything else.
And yeah, just think about it.
Like, even when you're at work,right those days, if you do
have those days and you canrelate like if you're at work
and you're not seeing anycustomers, right, like, let's
say, you work customer service,if you're at work and you don't

(03:42):
have anything to do and you'rekind of just staying at your
desk, not doing anything, how dothose days feel to you.
Those days feel like they suckright.
They feel like they're going byso slow because you're so bored
and you're not doing anything.
But when you're busy and you'redoing a lot of things and you
actually have things to do andtasks, the day goes by faster,

(04:07):
right?
So I think it's the same withjust life in general is when
you're just so busy doing thingsand getting things done from
your checklist, your schedule isalways packed, there's always
things to do.
You have parties you know to goto there's, you know, doctor's
appointments, like there's work,like there's all of these
things that you're doing, and Ifeel like that can make it feel

(04:29):
like life is just going by sofast and next thing, you know,
it's like the end of the yearagain.
So, as adults, I feel like wekind of fall into routines and
repetition a lot, where we'reconstantly doing a lot of the
same things.
We're going to work, right,we're filling up our things to
do, like doctor's appointments,and so that can make it seem

(04:50):
like time is going by faster.
Also, as adults, we're ingeneral like doing less new
things.
Like so, like it might not be,seem like as exciting, I guess
which I don't know, but like askids, for example, like we're
always, kids are always doingfun things right.
They're always doing trying newexperiences, like everything's
kind of new to them, and so thatcan make time feel like long as

(05:14):
adults.
Like it can have like theopposite right, it could feel
like it's just going back to theroutine and repetition of
things and we just have a lot ofresponsibilities, right.
It could feel like it's justgoing back to the routine and
repetition of things and we justhave a lot of responsibilities,
right, basically.
Another thing, though, that myacquaintance, you know, my
friend or whatever that wassaying on TikTok that I didn't
realize was it can also, whereyou live can also, I feel, have

(05:39):
an effect.
So, for example, I live inCalifornia, so California, right
, is a very fast, I feel likeit's a very fast pace.
I was going to say state, but Idon't know.
I live in Southern California.
I don't know about NorthernCalifornia, but in general I

(06:00):
feel like Southern Californialives like a very fast paced
lifestyle, so that can also maketime feel like it's going by
faster.
So, again, like you know, ifyou have a busy schedule, like
there's just so many activitiesto do, like there's just, you
know everyone's always kind ofon the go, like traffic is

(06:22):
always crazy, because everyone'salways kind of rushing, you
know, to get from point A topoint B and it's just a very
fast pace.
I feel lifestyle in SouthernCalifornia is another thing that
I didn't even think about.
That my friend had mentioned onhis TikTok and I was like that
makes complete sense.
Maybe we should move to likethe middle of nowhere, like move

(06:44):
to a farm or like somewherewhere life is just slower, right
?
So anywho, that was like aninteresting take on it.
So how can we slow our day down?
Because sometimes I do.
I mean, time is going by sofast.
Sometimes I do wish that I wasable to just slow down, and it's

(07:05):
so hard.
When you're used to like allthe chaos and the busyness of
life, it could be really hard toslow down and just not do
anything, or you know, so Idon't know.
I was like trying to figure outways to be more present in the
moment, to where time isn't justslipping by so fast.
So definitely try to do things,obviously, try new experiences,

(07:32):
try new things that make youfeel good, that make you feel
happy, create new memories,right.
So, trying new experiences,activities, traveling, doing
stuff that you've never donebefore, to create lasting
memories and just make the timefeel memorable, to where it's
just not like speeding by, right.

(07:53):
And then you're like wow, likewhat happened?
What did I do the past year,what did I do the past few
months, right?
So if you have something thatyou're filling it with, that
feels good to you, or goodmemories, like that might make
it feel a little more fulfilling.
Another thing, like I hadmentioned, is practicing being
more present in the moment.
So you know, for me at least, Iknow I'm on my phone a lot and

(08:17):
so I'm always doom, scrollingright on TikTok or Instagram,
and so the time goes by likereally fast.
Next thing, you know it's likeokay, I have to go to bed and
it's just like a constant cycle,right.
So I guess, trying to be morepresent in the moment, where
you're not just speeding throughthe day, so maybe putting your
phone down, you know, meditation, just meditation, like even

(08:44):
just sitting down for a coupleminutes, you know, and just
breathing, taking a few deepbreaths, where you're not
distracted all the time, thingslike that, just practicing and
learning to be more present inthe moment, I feel is something
very important for all of us,especially now with cell phones
and social media.
Like it could be easy to getstuck on scrolling and stuck on
like what people are doing, orstuck on the news and like
worrying and all of those thingswhere you sometimes feel like

(09:09):
you can't even catch your breath, right.
So I think taking time to slowdown and just being completely
present in the moment andwhatever you're doing, even with
like eating dinner, for example, like just being present with
that and not being on your phone, right, like just kind of
taking your time with doingthings, not constantly rushing
right To do the next thing, solimiting distractions, breaking

(09:31):
up some of your routines.
So that goes back to liketrying new experiences, trying
new things, meeting new people,taking a different route from
work, right Like taking the nextstreet or just making small
changes, I feel, to that routinethat we're just stuck in every
day, spending time outside likethat's a big one.

(09:54):
Whenever I'm feeling stressedand I'm feeling like overwhelmed
, I go outside and I take a walk, even if it's just a walk
around the block, which is notthe most nature-ish, you know,
eric, like I would rather be outin a park or maybe somewhere
with trees, you know, but atleast you're outside and you're
getting some oxygen, you'rechanging the scenery, you're

(10:16):
connecting with nature, soyou're slowing down and just
appreciating that moment.
Right, and setting goals.
For sure, I feel, setting goalsfor the year, keeping yourself
accountable to those goals thoseare all really good strategies
that I feel I'm going to startpracticing and maybe that some

(10:36):
of these things resonate withsome of you listening.
If it does, let me know.
But yeah, let me know what youthink.
Do you feel like time is goingby faster as an adult than when
you were younger and like why?
Why do you think that is?
But that's just an interestingobservation and feeling that I
had this past week that I wantedto talk about, because I feel

(10:58):
like life just moves so fast andwe're coming up onto the new
year right in three weeks and sonew year, new beginnings and
reflection, reflecting on thispast year and just things that
we we did or didn't do, and sojust something to keep in
perspective is just time and howvaluable time is and making

(11:23):
sure that we take advantage ofour time right.
Our time is precious and sotaking time to slow down and
really be in the moment andbeing present listening to this
episode.
Again, please subscribe, likeand share this episode.
I really appreciate it and goahead and check out my other

(11:45):
social media pages for morecontent Instagram, facebook,
youtube and, of course, mywebsite with all the past
podcast episodesmentalhealthishcom.
Thank you.