Ask HN: Why does time seem to speed up with age? I've been struggling with the observation that as I age it feels like my life is compressed into a few brief moments instead of feeling like some long chronology. I thought doing more unique activities throughout the year would help as it would create "markers" in my memories, but it hasn't. Have others struggled with similar thoughts - and as a rather odd question - how can one make their life feel...longer? |
Think of it this way: When you're ten years old, and somebody tells you that you can't have a certain thing you want for another year, well, that's 10% of your life. But at the age of 80, that would be only a bit over 1% -- not nearly as long.
So, how to make life seem longer? Pay more attention in the moment. Don't take routine experiences for granted. Learn to see everyday miracles as miracles, not just the same old same old. Some people would call it mindfulness, but since that's become a controversial term, don't mess with it, and for heaven's sake don't take a workshop or follow some self-help book. Just experiment with how you, in the life you currently live, can be more open and aware of the world around you. It's fascinating, and time will slow down.
Personally I think the dopaminergic hypothesis is not entirely incorrect [1], and there are treatments for this aspect of ageing.
1. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3...
I suppose if you forgot a lot, you'd have to rebuild your "dictionary".
It's not the perception the time is going faster but you're becoming slow - just take Joe Biden as an example.
To overcome this you have to keep your brain busy and live healthy may be... Like this 90yo Oma in the Forrest, sleeping outside no matter the weather
(It's German; but the big picture how and what it means to be active with the years can be seen without understanding German)