Time and COVID: Why It Feels Like Life's Moving at Warp Speed

We all know it: COVID-19 turned our world upside down. But one weird thing that's come out of it is that time seems to be zooming by. Blink, and it’s like a whole year just disappeared. Why does it feel like we’ve jumped straight from 2020 to now without a pit stop? Let’s dive into this head-scratcher.

Life on Repeat

Remember those lockdown days when every day felt the same? Wake up, work in PJs, binge-watch shows, sleep, repeat. Our routines got so monotonous that time seemed to drag on forever. Yet, weirdly, months flew by. Ruth S. Ogden’s study found that while individual days felt endless, the overall pandemic period seemed to vanish in a flash. It’s like our brains just didn’t bother to log any new memories because nothing ever changed.

Memories and Time

Our sense of time is like a scrapbook of memories. When we’re out and about, trying new things, our brains are busy making new pages. But during the pandemic, those pages were blank. Dr. Aoife O'Donovan points out that without fresh experiences, our brains sort of compress the timeline. So, looking back, it feels like we’ve fast-forwarded through the past few years.

Stress: The Time Warp Effect

Stress has a funny way of messing with our perception of time. Usually, in stressful situations, like a car accident, time seems to slow down. But chronic stress, the kind we all felt during the pandemic, does the opposite. Our brains on constant high alert stop keeping track of time effectively, making weeks and months blur together. A study by the American Psychological Association showed that the majority of us were more stressed out than ever, contributing to that feeling of lost time.

Screen Time and Social Media

Social media was our lifeline, our distraction, our boredom buster. But scrolling endlessly has its downsides. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania found that all that screen time made days feel shorter. Our brains process digital info quickly, which compresses our sense of time. It’s like binge-watching a show and realizing you’ve lost an entire day.

The Productivity Paradox

Working from home sounded like a dream—until it wasn’t. Without the usual work-life boundaries, many of us ended up working more. Microsoft’s research showed we were spending more time in meetings and logging longer hours. This productivity boost made our days blend into one another, fueling the feeling that time was slipping through our fingers.

The Science Behind It

Our brain’s timekeepers—the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus—got thrown out of whack during the pandemic. Stress messes with the hippocampus, impairing memory formation. Fewer memories mean a fuzzier sense of time passing. Neuroscience shows us that when our brain’s stressed, it’s not great at tracking time.

Neuroscience: The Brain's Timekeepers

Let’s delve deeper into the brain’s role in this phenomenon. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and attention, and the hippocampus, crucial for forming memories, are the main players in our time perception game. When our routines were disrupted, these brain regions faced a unique challenge.

The prefrontal cortex, which helps us manage time, was overworked as we juggled new tasks and stressors. Meanwhile, the hippocampus, which creates our mental scrapbook of memories, had fewer new experiences to process. This combination resulted in a compressed sense of time, where our brains couldn’t mark the days with distinct memories.

The Role of Dopamine

Dopamine, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter, also plays a role in time perception. During the pandemic, our dopamine levels were all over the place. The lack of social interaction and new experiences led to lower dopamine levels, which can make time feel like it’s dragging on. But when we engage in activities that spike dopamine, like binge-watching TV shows or doomscrolling social media, time can seem to speed up.

A study by the University of California found that fluctuating dopamine levels during the pandemic contributed to the altered sense of time. When our brains are deprived of the usual sources of pleasure and novelty, they struggle to process time consistently.

The Impact of Sleep Disruption

Our sleep patterns took a hit during the pandemic, and this also affected our perception of time. Irregular sleep schedules and insomnia were common as anxiety levels soared. Poor sleep can impair the brain’s ability to process time accurately. The National Sleep Foundation reported that disrupted sleep patterns during the pandemic led to a distorted sense of time, with days and nights blending into each other.

Social Isolation and Time Distortion

Humans are social creatures, and our interactions help us mark the passage of time. Social isolation during the pandemic meant fewer social cues to help us keep track of time. The lack of regular social events, like birthdays, holidays, and gatherings, removed the usual milestones that punctuate our lives.

Dr. Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist known for his work on time perspective, suggests that social interactions are crucial for our time perception. Without them, our internal clocks can become unanchored, leading to a sense of time speeding up. The absence of these social markers left many of us feeling like we were living in a time warp.

The Role of Nature and Environment

Our environment also plays a role in how we perceive time. Being cooped up indoors with little variation in our surroundings can distort our sense of time. On the flip side, spending time in nature has been shown to help restore our sense of time and reduce stress.

A study by the University of Exeter found that people who spent more time outdoors during the pandemic reported a more balanced perception of time. Nature provides a variety of sensory experiences and changes, which help our brains keep track of time more effectively.

Personal Strategies for Reclaiming Time

So, how do we fight back against this accelerated sense of time? Here are some practical tips to help you reclaim control over your perception of time:

1. Break the Monotony: Introduce new activities and experiences into your routine. Even small changes, like trying a new hobby or exploring a different part of your neighborhood, can create new memories.

2. Set Clear Boundaries: Establish boundaries between work and personal life. Designate specific times for work, relaxation, and socializing to create a clearer structure for your days.

3. Practice Mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness practices to stay present. Meditation, deep breathing, and journaling can help you focus on the here and now, rather than letting time slip away.

4. Prioritize Quality Sleep: Develop a consistent sleep schedule and create a relaxing bedtime routine. Good sleep hygiene can improve your brain’s ability to process time accurately.

5. Connect with Others: Make an effort to maintain social connections, even if it’s through virtual means. Regular social interactions provide important time markers and reduce the feeling of isolation.

6. Engage with Nature: Spend time outdoors and immerse yourself in natural surroundings. Nature’s rhythms can help recalibrate your internal clock and provide a sense of grounding.

Looking Ahead: A New Relationship with Time

As we move forward from the pandemic, it’s important to reflect on our relationship with time. The experience has taught us that time is not just a ticking clock but a subjective experience shaped by our environment, activities, and mental state. By understanding the factors that influence our perception of time, we can take steps to create a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly warped our sense of time. The combination of disrupted routines, chronic stress, increased screen time, and social isolation has led many of us to feel like time is slipping away faster than ever. However, by recognizing these influences and implementing strategies to manage our time perception, we can regain control and live more intentionally.

In a world where time often feels like it’s slipping through our fingers, finding ways to slow down and savour each moment is more important than ever. Let’s take the lessons learned from the pandemic to create a more balanced and mindful approach to our perception of time.

By breaking the monotony, setting boundaries, practicing mindfulness, prioritizing sleep, connecting with others, and engaging with nature, we can reclaim our sense of time and live more fully in the present. The pandemic has been a challenging chapter in our lives, but it also offers an opportunity to rethink how we experience and value time.