The ’90s rock group Smash Mouth captured a universal sentiment in their hit single “All Star” with the lyrics, “Well, the years start coming, but they don’t stop coming.” As we step into 2026, many are left pondering the swift passage of 2025 and the years before it. This phenomenon raises questions about how we perceive time, why certain events seem to fly by while others drag on, and whether it’s possible to manipulate our perception of time.
Understanding Time Perception
Dr. Peter Riggs, a physicist and philosopher of science at the Australian National University, explains that we experience time as a passage. “We human beings live out our days in the present moment which seems to advance into the future. This is how we subjectively ‘perceive’ time,” he says. Temporal markers, such as events of personal or societal significance, establish this sense of time moving forward.
However, Riggs notes a fascinating twist: there is no objective time. “Our perceptions of time need not reflect time’s actual structure. There is no consensus about time’s nature and the passage of time may not be physically real but only a psychological phenomenon,” he explains.
Professor Hinze Hogendoorn, head of the Time in Brain and Behaviour Laboratory at the Queensland University of Technology, adds that unlike senses like smell, sight, or taste, for which we have dedicated detectors, there is no organ for perceiving time. Rather, our brains infer it. “There’s no time particle or wave that can be detected. So technically, we don’t perceive time as such, but we infer paths of time from the fact that things unfold,” Hogendoorn elaborates.
The Time Paradox
One puzzling paradox of time is the difference between prospective and retrospective time—how our brains infer time in the moment versus time in the past. Consider the last time you engaged in a monotonous activity, like a long-haul flight or waiting for water to boil. In the moment, time seems to drag, but in hindsight, it can feel like it passed in a flash.
Conversely, the adage “time flies when you’re having fun” holds true, yet a year filled with excitement and novelty can feel slower in retrospect. “This is something that always breaks people’s heads because there is no objective time for our brains to detect, and we infer time on the fly,” Hogendoorn says. He explains that distractions are necessary to make time pass, but in their absence, our brains may compress months and years, creating the illusion of time speeding by.
Why Some Events Pass Faster Than Others
As we age, many feel that time accelerates. A common explanation is that each year becomes a smaller fraction of our lives. Hogendoorn suggests that while this may be a factor, a more significant reason is the absence of novelty and milestones. “Young kids are doing things for the first time. They go to school for the first time, they have their first relationship, they have their first job. All those things are exciting,” he notes.
For adults, routine can make time seem to fly by. “At the end of the week, they might have nothing particularly new to report and can feel like there’s not enough time in the day, but at the same time, time flies by,” Hogendoorn explains. Emotional states also influence our perception of time. Riggs points out that time seems to slow during traumatic or near-death experiences because the brain records such events in greater detail than usual.
Strategies to Slow Down Time
Hogendoorn offers a somewhat tongue-in-cheek solution for slowing time: “Sit down on the floor and stare at the wall if you want to slow down time.” However, research suggests that spending time in nature might help stretch out our minutes and hours. In one experiment, university students who walked in nature reported time passing more slowly than those who walked in urban settings.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Rebecca Ray advocates for mindfulness as a way to be more present. “Start by noticing. Bringing attention to small moments helps, like tasting your coffee, taking a breath before the next task, or stepping outside between meetings. You can’t create more time, but you can experience it more fully,” she advises.
To slow down time in advance, Hogendoorn recommends shaking up routine and introducing novelty and spontaneity into our lives. This could mean taking a holiday or simply changing your route to work. However, for neurodivergent individuals, for whom routine provides stability, significant changes may not always be desirable.
The exploration of time perception reveals a complex interplay of psychological and environmental factors. As we continue to seek ways to manage our perception of time, these insights offer valuable guidance for navigating the ever-accelerating pace of life.
