How to Slow Down Time

Author Info

Updated: March 29, 2019

Explore this ArticleFocusing Your AttentionBreaking Your RoutinesArticle SummaryQuestions & AnswersRelated ArticlesReferences

You can't slow down time, technically, but you can learn to slow down your perception of time. You can learn to appreciate the time you have. If you want to learn to take a step back, focus your attention, and break yourself out of your typical routines, you can learn to slow down your experience of time.

1

Change up your routes to regular places. Have you ever had the experience of getting into your car and automatically driving to work, when you meant to run to the store? Repetitive actions form pathways in your brain that make it much easier to go on autopilot, performing the same task without realizing what you're doing. Those actions can speed by. So, the trick is to learn to shake up your routines to make your brain experience new things as often as possible.[3]

try to take as many different routes and methods of getting to the different places you need to go. Ride a bike sometimes, drive other times, walk other times. Find the best route for each and the worst route for each, and take all of them in between.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 7]

7

Practice systematic recall, daily. At the end of each day, try a little exercise. Remember one thing you did today and describe it in as specific a detail as possible. It might be the look your friend gave you after you told a hilarious joke, or a sign you saw in someone's yard, or a particular cloud formation. Be specific, and be detailed.

After you do today, try to do yesterday. What was something, different from you you recalled yesterday, that you remember from yesterday? After you do that, go to last week. Go to a month ago. Ten years. Your childhood. try to progressively draw up specific and detailed memories from different points in your life.

Community Q&A

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

By Aya Tsintziras

We’ve all done it – been so totally smitten with the new guy in our lives that all we want to do is make out 24/7 and ignore all our other commitments. Soon we’re texting him all the time, which is probably the 2015 equivalent of writing your name with his last name in your math class notebook. While there’s nothing more fun and exciting than starting a new romance, there’s a lot to be said for slowing things down and letting them develop naturally instead of being in such a rush. Here are 10 reasons to go slow.

1. GETTING CARRIED AWAY MIGHT BLIND YOU TO SOME GLARING RED FLAGS.



Let’s face it: our hormones often make the decision for us about who we should be with. But what if, besides physical attraction, you don’t actually have anything in common with your new guy? Can you actually have a conversation? Is he motivated or at least employed? If you’re in the market for a real relationship, these things matter.

2. GOING TOO FAST COULD MEAN YOU’RE HEADED FOR A CRASH-AND-BURN SITUATION.



We can all relate to all those Taylor Swift songs about super intense short relationships. You’ve most likely had the experience of dating a guy for a month or two, being really into him, and then one day your feelings have just evaporated and it’s like kissing your brother. Go slow this time and avoid the dreaded almost-relationship.

3. SPONSORED: THE BEST DATING/RELATIONSHIPS ADVICE ON THE WEB. Check out Relationship Hero a site where highly trained relationship coaches get you, get your situation, and help you accomplish what you want. They help you through complicated and difficult love situations like deciphering mixed signals, getting over a breakup, or anything else you’re worried about. You immediately connect with an awesome coach on text or over the phone in minutes. Just click here…

4. YOU CAN SPARE YOUR FEELINGS.



Unfortunately, in today’s hook-up culture, just because we’re dating someone it doesn’t mean we’re headed for a serious commitment. You might be waiting to call someone your boyfriend without knowing they have zero interest in that label. If you take things slow, you can take care of yourself and not get your hopes up.

5. IF IT’S REAL, THERE’S NO RUSH.

5

Try just sitting. If you ask a Zen monk what meditation is, they will usually say, "Just sitting." If you ask what Zen is, again, the answer will probably be, "Just sitting." The big secret to meditation and to slowing time is that there is no secret to awareness. If you're feeling agitated and want to slow down time, just sit. Do nothing. Center yourself in the act of sitting, and just be.

Try to only do one thing at one time. When you're sitting, just sit. When you're reading, just read. Don't read, and eat bagels, and text your friend, and think about the weekend. Just read.

Method2

Breaking Your Routines

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 6]

Is there any way I can slow down time by doing something fun?

Community Answer

Nope. Sorry. Time flies when you're having fun.

Not Helpful 19Helpful 16

Question

Can't I just stop my watch?

Community Answer

You can try, but many people find that doing so actually makes it feel as though time is going by faster. Keep in mind that time is not confined to your watch, so even if you do stop your watch, time itself does not stop.

Not Helpful 35Helpful 24

Unanswered Questions

Why does time go by faster when thinking of things?

Answer this question Flag as...

Ask a Question

Submit

Tips

This may seem like a guide about relaxing, but the simple answer is that when you're relaxed (or doing something extremely boring), time seems to go slowly. Unlike when you're doing something interesting, time seems to go fast, hence the saying "time flies when you're having fun."

Taking slow, deep breaths can help you relax and unwind.

Method2

Breaking Your Routines

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 6]

1

Change up your routes to regular places. Have you ever had the experience of getting into your car and automatically driving to work, when you meant to run to the store? Repetitive actions form pathways in your brain that make it much easier to go on autopilot, performing the same task without realizing what you're doing. Those actions can speed by. So, the trick is to learn to shake up your routines to make your brain experience new things as often as possible.[3]

try to take as many different routes and methods of getting to the different places you need to go. Ride a bike sometimes, drive other times, walk other times. Find the best route for each and the worst route for each, and take all of them in between.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 7]

2

Do the same activity in a variety of locations. Some people like to work at the same desk every day, for the same number of hours, doing the same activities. Consistency does have the effect of making time fly by. But if you want to slow it down, force yourself to go elsewhere to do tasks that you need to do repeatedly.

Don't study in your room at your desk every night, but go in a circuit. Try different rooms in your hours, try the library, try studying outside under a tree in the park. Study everywhere.

If you're a runner, don't run in the same place more than once or twice. Always explore new neighborhoods, new parks, new trails. Don't let routine become routine.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 8]

3

Do things that scare you. In a recent study, a researcher asked riders on a scary thrill ride to describe how long the ride took, to plunge a couple hundred feet in a few seconds. Every participant overestimated the amount of time by roughly 30%. When we experience moments that make us nervous, moments that make us scared, time seems to drag on in a palpable way, even if it doesn't really.[4]

Try easy jump-scares, or digging out the occasional horror movie if you want to give yourself some jumps without engaging in actually risky or frightening activities. Scare yourself from the safety of your living room.

Don't engage in dangerous behaviors, but take calculated risks and put yourself out there. If it scares you to sing in front of people, take your guitar to an open mic and make yourself do it. It'll be the longest 15 minutes of your life.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 9]

4

Explore. The world is a strange and beautiful place that too often we limit to a tiny skull-sized kingdom. We're at home, then we go to school or work, then we come home, and watch TV. That's a good way to make time fly by. Instead, force yourself go exploring. Explore your own neighborhood, your own world, and your own head.

How many different places can you buy a toothbrush, a sandwich, or a pair of sneakers in your own neighborhood? What's the cheapest? Where are the weirdest? Find out.

Explore your own abilities as well as your surroundings. Can you write a narrative poem? Challenge yourself. Can you play banjo? Try. Learning new things helps us reclaim that beginner's mind, which works slowly. This is the joy of exploration.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 10]

2

Do the same activity in a variety of locations. Some people like to work at the same desk every day, for the same number of hours, doing the same activities. Consistency does have the effect of making time fly by. But if you want to slow it down, force yourself to go elsewhere to do tasks that you need to do repeatedly.

Don't study in your room at your desk every night, but go in a circuit. Try different rooms in your hours, try the library, try studying outside under a tree in the park. Study everywhere.

If you're a runner, don't run in the same place more than once or twice. Always explore new neighborhoods, new parks, new trails. Don't let routine become routine.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 8]

3

Do things that scare you. In a recent study, a researcher asked riders on a scary thrill ride to describe how long the ride took, to plunge a couple hundred feet in a few seconds. Every participant overestimated the amount of time by roughly 30%. When we experience moments that make us nervous, moments that make us scared, time seems to drag on in a palpable way, even if it doesn't really.[4]

 

This goes for sleeping together, putting a label on it – any aspect of a new romance. The right guy will wait for you and go at your pace. After all, you know that sex is not the most significant aspect of any partnership. Chances are, if you spend several months with someone and you’re already acting like you’re in a relationship, then the “What Are We?” talk will just be stating what’s obvious to both of you.

6. IT’S NICE TO REALLY KNOW SOMEONE BEFORE CALLING HIM YOUR BOYFRIEND.



It’s tempting to want to change your status on Facebook before you even know your new guy’s parents’ names, but that status will be so much more meaningful if we wait until we have a true sense of who this person is.

7. YOU CAN WAIT BEFORE INTRODUCING HIM TO YOUR PEOPLE.



Of course your family and BFFs will be dying to meet the new guy that has made you so happy. And they should. But there’s something to be said for waiting until you truly know how you feel before adding other people into the mix. There will be time to meet the parents and to bring him to the social functions you’re invited to. Right now, it’s still early, so feel free to stay in your love bubble.

8. YOU MIGHT FIND OUT HE’S NOT THE ONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.



What sucks more – learning that this guy is definitely not right for you when you’re two months in, or after six months of coupled-up bliss? Well, they both suck, of course, but the latter might hurt just a little bit more because there’s all this expectation and more time spent.

9. EVERY MILESTONE WON’T FEEL OVERWHELMING.



All the firsts of a new relationship – the first kiss, the first “I love you”, the first meeting of each set of parents – can seem scary even when you’re super sure about the person. But if you go slowly and let everything unfold naturally, you won’t find it scary at all. Each step will feel like it’s simply happening as it’s supposed to.

10. YOU MIGHT CHANGE YOUR MIND.



Sometimes we’re more excited about the idea of someone than of who that person actually is. Without a super intense hook-up, you might realize you want to spend more time being single or that you don’t see this going anywhere. Doing it earlier will make the break-up less awkward.

11. YOU DON’T WANT TO CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE.



That weekly coffee date with your college roomie, the once-a-month drinks with your BFFs – don’t give it all up too quickly. If your new guy turns out not to bet he one, you’ll regret having given up on the good things in your life that keep you connected to the people that matter to you. And if it does work out, then you didn’t ditch your friends for a guy, either. It’s a win-win.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 12]

7

Practice systematic recall, daily. At the end of each day, try a little exercise. Remember one thing you did today and describe it in as specific a detail as possible. It might be the look your friend gave you after you told a hilarious joke, or a sign you saw in someone's yard, or a particular cloud formation. Be specific, and be detailed.

After you do today, try to do yesterday. What was something, different from you you recalled yesterday, that you remember from yesterday? After you do that, go to last week. Go to a month ago. Ten years. Your childhood. try to progressively draw up specific and detailed memories from different points in your life.

Community Q&A

Question

How does breathing slow down time?

Community Answer

Focusing on one simple thing changes your perception of time so that you don't perceive it as flying by like when you do a really fun and engaging activity.

Not Helpful 5Helpful 15

Question

How can I slow down time when I'm at school?

Community Answer

Just don't look at the clock. Focus on something you're learning, and be involved with what you're doing.

Not Helpful 15Helpful 24

Question

How can I get out of doing something that someone else really wants me to do?

Community Answer

Just say "no," simply and firmly. Life is too short to let others manipulate, persuade, or otherwise pressure you into doing activities you don't want to do (even if they are well-meaning). Saying "I'm not into that" or simply saying "I don't want to" is not a crime.

Not Helpful 12Helpful 17

Question

Is there any way I can slow down time by doing something fun?

Community Answer

Nope. Sorry. Time flies when you're having fun.

Not Helpful 19Helpful 16

Question

Can't I just stop my watch?

Community Answer

You can try, but many people find that doing so actually makes it feel as though time is going by faster. Keep in mind that time is not confined to your watch, so even if you do stop your watch, time itself does not stop.

Not Helpful 35Helpful 24

Unanswered Questions

Why does time go by faster when thinking of things?

Answer this question Flag as...

Ask a Question

Submit

Tips

This may seem like a guide about relaxing, but the simple answer is that when you're relaxed (or doing something extremely boring), time seems to go slowly. Unlike when you're doing something interesting, time seems to go fast, hence the saying "time flies when you're having fun."

Taking slow, deep breaths can help you relax and unwind.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 2]

2

Focus on your breath. Breath-meditation is one of the easiest and most common methods of training yourself to slow down and become more aware. Center yourself in basic breathing rituals to be more present in the moment, and slow down time.

Sit in a comfortable chair, upright, using good posture, and take a deep breath. Hold it, then exhale it slowly. Do this at least ten times while your eyes are closed. Feel the oxygen coming into your body, nourishing you, and feel it leaving your body.

Move the air you breathe to different parts of your body as you meditate. Feel it working for you.

After your ten controlled breaths are done, open your eyes and pay attention to details around you. If you are outside, look at the sky, the horizon, listen to sounds around you. If you are inside, look at the ceiling, the walls and any furniture. Be in the moment.

If you don't like the idea of "meditating," just think about it as breathing. There doesn't have to be a lot of spiritual jargon wrapped up in it for it to be effective for you.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 3]

3

Try progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation is a basic, but formalized way of relaxing your body without doing much of anything but focusing your attention on different places in your body, and pushing your presence into those places. It's a way of both relaxing and staying active, and can be a helpful way to focus yourself in a simple activity and slow time.

To start, sit upright in a comfortable chair, focusing on your breath. Then pick a part of your body, starting either at your feet or you head, and tense a muscle. Try contouring your face, as if you just ate something sour, holding it for a count of 15 seconds, then slowly releasing it and feeling the tension melt away.

Continue moving to different parts of your body, tensing muscles, holding it, and then releasing the tension slowly, until you've moved around all your body. This is an excellent way of centering yourself, being present in the moment, and relaxing.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 4]

4

Sing, play music, or chant. Another commonly used tactic of transcending time is to use a repetitive vocalization as a chant, to center yourself and to work into a kind of trance. This can be done by singing, chanting, or by playing music, and is done in lots of traditions, from Pentecostal Christians to the Hare Krishna.[2]

You can chant any single phrase, mantra, or fragment. Try chanting the Hare Krishna, or just sing Beyonce over and over: "I'm a survivor" is a perfectly effective mantra.

If you play an instrument, you may be very familiar with the experience of losing track of time while playing a repetitive fragment or a series of chords. Just repeat the same three notes on piano, letting them ring out slowly, and sit with the notes, focusing on your breath. Time will slow.

If you don't play, and aren't interested in chanting or singing, try listening to some soft ambient or drone-like music. Some excellent compositions for blissing out and slowing down time include William Basinski's Disintegration Loops, Jordan De La Sierra's Gymnosphere, and anything by Brian Eno.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 5]

5

Try just sitting. If you ask a Zen monk what meditation is, they will usually say, "Just sitting." If you ask what Zen is, again, the answer will probably be, "Just sitting." The big secret to meditation and to slowing time is that there is no secret to awareness. If you're feeling agitated and want to slow down time, just sit. Do nothing. Center yourself in the act of sitting, and just be.

Try to only do one thing at one time. When you're sitting, just sit. When you're reading, just read. Don't read, and eat bagels, and text your friend, and think about the weekend. Just read.

How to Slow Down Time

Author Info

Updated: March 29, 2019

Explore this ArticleFocusing Your AttentionBreaking Your RoutinesArticle SummaryQuestions & AnswersRelated ArticlesReferences

You can't slow down time, technically, but you can learn to slow down your perception of time. You can learn to appreciate the time you have. If you want to learn to take a step back, focus your attention, and break yourself out of your typical routines, you can learn to slow down your experience of time.

Method1

Focusing Your Attention

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 1]

1

 

Question

How does breathing slow down time?

Community Answer

Focusing on one simple thing changes your perception of time so that you don't perceive it as flying by like when you do a really fun and engaging activity.

Not Helpful 5Helpful 15

Question

How can I slow down time when I'm at school?

Community Answer

Just don't look at the clock. Focus on something you're learning, and be involved with what you're doing.

Not Helpful 15Helpful 24

Question

How can I get out of doing something that someone else really wants me to do?

Community Answer

Just say "no," simply and firmly. Life is too short to let others manipulate, persuade, or otherwise pressure you into doing activities you don't want to do (even if they are well-meaning). Saying "I'm not into that" or simply saying "I don't want to" is not a crime.

Not Helpful 12Helpful 17

Question

Method1

Focusing Your Attention

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 1]

1

Focus on little details. There are a lot of theories about why time seems to speed up as we grow older, both subjective and scientific. The neural pathways we form as children are almost always new, as each experience is new.[1] It's as if every little detail is significant. As we get older and more familiar with the world we inhabit, however, those little details don't carry the punch they once did.

To reclaim some of the wonder of your youth, try to train yourself to focus on little things as much as possible. Take a short time each day to–yeah, literally–appreciate some flowers, or watch a sunset, or do a meditative task, like playing music or gardening.

Engage all your senses to try to be fully present, even if the event is insignificant. The smaller, the better. While you're sitting in traffic, stay focused on the temperature, the tactile feeling of your body on the seat, the smells of the car and the traffic. How strange it is to be driving at all!

 

5

Do fewer things in a day. If you want to slow down time, your goal should be to take on fewer tasks each day, and to experience each one of them fully and more completely. If you want time to slow down, slow down yourself, and slow down your rate of consuming.

Most people carry around a couple hundred hours of music on their computer, or their phone, and the instantaneous experience of access makes it hard to slow down and experience those songs. If you don't like the first thirty seconds, you can skip 'em. Try sitting with a song you really like, and listening over and over, instead of listening to an hour of Pandora.

Even if you're doing something small, like reading or looking at a book, don't try to cram the whole thing into your brain at once. Don't built up a huge stack of books at your bedside. Sit with one for a month. Sit with one poem for a year. Really experience it.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 11]

6

Stop multi-tasking. The more you divide your attention into multiple tasks, the more difficult a time you'll have in staying focused on what you're doing, centering yourself, and slowing down the way that you're perceiving time. When you do one thing, just devote yourself to that thing until you're done with it.

Multi-tasking is usually done to "save time" for other things. We think, "Hey, if I can make dinner and watch House of Cards and call my sister, I'll save time later," but at the end of the day, you'll hardly remember what happened on the show, the dinner will be scorched, and your sister will

Instead, focus on doing the one thing you're doing well and rightly. Make it take a long time. Make it go slowly. When you cook food, pay attention to each ingredient that you chop up. Do it right.

10 Reasons To Go Slow With A New Guy

Focus on little details. There are a lot of theories about why time seems to speed up as we grow older, both subjective and scientific. The neural pathways we form as children are almost always new, as each experience is new.[1] It's as if every little detail is significant. As we get older and more familiar with the world we inhabit, however, those little details don't carry the punch they once did.

To reclaim some of the wonder of your youth, try to train yourself to focus on little things as much as possible. Take a short time each day to–yeah, literally–appreciate some flowers, or watch a sunset, or do a meditative task, like playing music or gardening.

Engage all your senses to try to be fully present, even if the event is insignificant. The smaller, the better. While you're sitting in traffic, stay focused on the temperature, the tactile feeling of your body on the seat, the smells of the car and the traffic. How strange it is to be driving at all!

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 2]

2

Focus on your breath. Breath-meditation is one of the easiest and most common methods of training yourself to slow down and become more aware. Center yourself in basic breathing rituals to be more present in the moment, and slow down time.

Sit in a comfortable chair, upright, using good posture, and take a deep breath. Hold it, then exhale it slowly. Do this at least ten times while your eyes are closed. Feel the oxygen coming into your body, nourishing you, and feel it leaving your body.

Move the air you breathe to different parts of your body as you meditate. Feel it working for you.

After your ten controlled breaths are done, open your eyes and pay attention to details around you. If you are outside, look at the sky, the horizon, listen to sounds around you. If you are inside, look at the ceiling, the walls and any furniture. Be in the moment.

If you don't like the idea of "meditating," just think about it as breathing. There doesn't have to be a lot of spiritual jargon wrapped up in it for it to be effective for you.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 3]

3

Try progressive muscle relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation is a basic, but formalized way of relaxing your body without doing much of anything but focusing your attention on different places in your body, and pushing your presence into those places. It's a way of both relaxing and staying active, and can be a helpful way to focus yourself in a simple activity and slow time.

To start, sit upright in a comfortable chair, focusing on your breath. Then pick a part of your body, starting either at your feet or you head, and tense a muscle. Try contouring your face, as if you just ate something sour, holding it for a count of 15 seconds, then slowly releasing it and feeling the tension melt away.

Continue moving to different parts of your body, tensing muscles, holding it, and then releasing the tension slowly, until you've moved around all your body. This is an excellent way of centering yourself, being present in the moment, and relaxing.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 4]

4

Sing, play music, or chant. Another commonly used tactic of transcending time is to use a repetitive vocalization as a chant, to center yourself and to work into a kind of trance. This can be done by singing, chanting, or by playing music, and is done in lots of traditions, from Pentecostal Christians to the Hare Krishna.[2]

You can chant any single phrase, mantra, or fragment. Try chanting the Hare Krishna, or just sing Beyonce over and over: "I'm a survivor" is a perfectly effective mantra.

If you play an instrument, you may be very familiar with the experience of losing track of time while playing a repetitive fragment or a series of chords. Just repeat the same three notes on piano, letting them ring out slowly, and sit with the notes, focusing on your breath. Time will slow.

If you don't play, and aren't interested in chanting or singing, try listening to some soft ambient or drone-like music. Some excellent compositions for blissing out and slowing down time include William Basinski's Disintegration Loops, Jordan De La Sierra's Gymnosphere, and anything by Brian Eno.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 5]

Try easy jump-scares, or digging out the occasional horror movie if you want to give yourself some jumps without engaging in actually risky or frightening activities. Scare yourself from the safety of your living room.

Don't engage in dangerous behaviors, but take calculated risks and put yourself out there. If it scares you to sing in front of people, take your guitar to an open mic and make yourself do it. It'll be the longest 15 minutes of your life.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 9]

4

Explore. The world is a strange and beautiful place that too often we limit to a tiny skull-sized kingdom. We're at home, then we go to school or work, then we come home, and watch TV. That's a good way to make time fly by. Instead, force yourself go exploring. Explore your own neighborhood, your own world, and your own head.

How many different places can you buy a toothbrush, a sandwich, or a pair of sneakers in your own neighborhood? What's the cheapest? Where are the weirdest? Find out.

Explore your own abilities as well as your surroundings. Can you write a narrative poem? Challenge yourself. Can you play banjo? Try. Learning new things helps us reclaim that beginner's mind, which works slowly. This is the joy of exploration.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 10]

5

Do fewer things in a day. If you want to slow down time, your goal should be to take on fewer tasks each day, and to experience each one of them fully and more completely. If you want time to slow down, slow down yourself, and slow down your rate of consuming.

Most people carry around a couple hundred hours of music on their computer, or their phone, and the instantaneous experience of access makes it hard to slow down and experience those songs. If you don't like the first thirty seconds, you can skip 'em. Try sitting with a song you really like, and listening over and over, instead of listening to an hour of Pandora.

Even if you're doing something small, like reading or looking at a book, don't try to cram the whole thing into your brain at once. Don't built up a huge stack of books at your bedside. Sit with one for a month. Sit with one poem for a year. Really experience it.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 11]

6

Stop multi-tasking. The more you divide your attention into multiple tasks, the more difficult a time you'll have in staying focused on what you're doing, centering yourself, and slowing down the way that you're perceiving time. When you do one thing, just devote yourself to that thing until you're done with it.

Multi-tasking is usually done to "save time" for other things. We think, "Hey, if I can make dinner and watch House of Cards and call my sister, I'll save time later," but at the end of the day, you'll hardly remember what happened on the show, the dinner will be scorched, and your sister will

Instead, focus on doing the one thing you're doing well and rightly. Make it take a long time. Make it go slowly. When you cook food, pay attention to each ingredient that you chop up. Do it right.

[Image titled Slow Down Time Step 12]