Why Time Feels Faster as We Get Older
Why Time Feels Faster as We Get Older Many people say the same thing as they age: “Time feels like it’s speeding up.” Days blur together. Years seem shorter. This feeling is not imagination or nostalgia. It is a well-documented psychological effect rooted in how our brain processes time. 1. Time Is Measured by Memory, Not Clocks The brain does not measure time like a stopwatch. It measures time by how many memories are created. When we experience something new, the brain records more details. More details create the feeling of a longer day. As we age, daily life becomes more predictable. Fewer new memories are formed, so time feels compressed. 2. Routine Shrinks Our Sense of Time Repeating similar days sends a signal to the brain: “Nothing new happened.” When the brain does not need to store new information, it speeds up processing. This makes weeks and months feel shorter in hindsight. 3. Childhood Had More “First Times” Think abou...