6 Ways to Slow Down Time & Be Present

Do you find yourself constantly wondering “where does the time go?!”? Have trouble remembering what you did yesterday or what day of the week it is? Ever pull into your driveway only to think to yourself “how the f**k did I even get here”?

If those questions are all too relatable, then this is for you!

Why Time “Goes Faster” as We Get Older

Remember when you were a kid and Summer days seemed to last forever? You felt like you had all the time in the world. Fast forward to the present day and each day whizzes by faster than the last until you become ‘that guy’ at the beginning of each new month exclaiming “HOW THE HELL IS IT ____ ALREADY?!”.

It’s not just because we are busier than we were as kids, or that we have more responsibilities. It’s because nothing is new anymore. When we don’t challenge our minds with newness we go on autopilot. When our brains go on autopilot, it severely hinders our awareness. Think back to that example mentioned before about pulling into your driveway without remembering anything about your drive home. That route is so engrained in your mind, that you don’t have to think about it anymore. Your brain is basically like “don’t worry, we’ve got this, you can go back to replaying that moment from earlier today when you said ‘you too’ instead of ‘thanks’ when you’re waiter said to enjoy your meal”.

Awareness is the Key

Time, as an objective system of measurement, is actually extremely subjective. That’s not a surprise to anybody reading – we’ve all experienced time speeding up or slowing down depending on the situation we find ourselves in. The biggest factor in how we experience time is awareness. The more we slow down to focus on the present, the more time slows down for us.

The higher your awareness of the present, the more your subjective perception of time is altered. When you are sitting in a meeting you are hyper-aware of how much time is left in that meeting, but we are going to focus on the opposite here. We are going to focus on shifting awareness to help create more time in your life.

These 6 simple tips will help you rewire the thought patterns that make you believe “I don’t have enough time” or “there are simply not enough hours of the day”. They will get you to realize that you do have enough time for YOU and avoid that feeling of one day bleeding into the next, devoid of meaning or memorable moments.

#1: Un-train your brain

We are creatures of habit. Our brains want to take the path of least resistance, which is super helpful a lot of the time, but it also puts us in autopilot mode. When you are doing something new, it requires focus and attention. Remember that this is one of the key reasons time goes faster as we get older – we aren’t challenging our brains enough!

Do more things that force your brain to focus and keep your mind present in the moment. Take a new route to work or walk in a new direction when you take your dog out in the morning. Explore a new part of your city next weekend and challenge yourself to “get lost” aka don’t turn on that navigation system until you really need it! Switch up your daily routine and do something a little differently.

It may feel uncomfortable at first, but that’s how you know it’s working! The more it challenges you, the more it changes you.

#2 Just say “no”

Be discerning with your time! We drastically undervalue our time and its worth. Time is one of the most precious assets we have, but we tend to offer it too readily and spend it too frivolously. The more you say “no” to the things that don’t serve you, the more time you have to fill with things that light you up.

Just because you’re “not busy” doesn’t mean you’re “available”. That “not busy” time is the most valuable time you have because it is time you can spend on YOU. It’s time you can use to learn something new, to do something you love, to care for yourself, to nurture your energy.

Stop agreeing to things solely out of obligation or guilt and remember to prioritize showing up for yourself. Those little moments of meaning – those times that you do carve out for yourself – are the memorable ones. They are the ones that will stick out in your memory and make you remember that day, that feeling.

#3 Put a time limit on your tasks

Your work expands to fit the time you allocate towards it. If you give yourself a whole day to do a broad task like “clean the house”, you will inevitably dilly dally most of the day and get the majority of the work done as the day comes down to the wire. You’ll scroll through your phone for 30 minutes here and there. You’ll turn on the TV and spend 20 minutes trying to find something to watch on Netflix. No judgment! We all do it.

Try giving yourself time limits for specific tasks. 20 minutes to do the dishes, 40 minutes to vacuum and dust, 15 minutes to make the bed, etc. This will help you stay focused on the task and open up more of your day for you-time, rather than “spending the day cleaning”.

#4 Find joy in everything

I know it sounds cheesy, but I promise this is an important one! Reframing your perspective on any given task can be the difference between a day whizzing by you without meaning and a day that leaves you feeling fulfilled and accomplished.

Not only is there joy in the stuff we glaze over and do on autopilot, there is also joy in the stuff that really annoys us. Hear me out…

When you’re walking the dog on a rainy morning when you’d really rather be asleep, take time to look up at the trees, be grateful for your legs moving you along, and for the cute fluffy monster on the other end of the leash. When you’re answering endless work emails, think of how great it is that you have a job and a steady paycheck and that so many people are seeking your valuable input.

#5 One thing at a time

Stop multitasking and start mono-tasking! When you’re doing a bunch of stuff at once, you’re not able to fully focus on anything. The more scattered your focus is, the less detail you’re able to pick up on and the less your brain even registers what you’re doing.

When your focus is scattered, you start to go into that tricky autopilot mode again! You are not only operating with less efficiency when you’re constantly multitasking, you’re also losing out on the opportunity to find joy in each individual task. You move through it all and all of a sudden you’re like “what did I even just do? Wait, did I send that email?”. You know the deal – we’ve all been there!

#6 Put your phone down

This is like the whole saying “no” thing. Set boundaries with the content you consume on this dang device!!

The stuff we mindlessly scroll through for hours each day is taking up precious space in our minds and blowing through our incredibly valuable time.

The irony of you likely reading this on your phone is not lost on me, so I will end it here. You know what to do!! ✌️