Why do we feel like summers don’t last as long as they used to?
The memory of endless summers, with afternoons of games and nights that seemed to never end, often contrasts with the fleeting nature of adult vacations. This is not a nostalgic deception, but a psychological phenomenon that science is beginning to understand better. Our perception of time is not linear: it is modulated by novelty, memory, and how we pay attention to what we experience.
### Objective Time, Subjective Experience
The clock marks the unchanging passage of hours, but the way we perceive them varies with age. During childhood, each summer is full of “first times”: friends, games, places, and learnings. This flow of new experiences saturates the brain with memories, making the days seem long and dense.
As years go by, routine and obligations reduce the amount of [vacation experiences]. The adult brain condenses whole weeks into vague and scarce memories, so that looking back, vacations feel shorter.
### Adult Stress vs Childlike Attention
Adults often enter summer loaded with pending tasks, plans, and family obligations. This diminishes attention to the present and, consequently, the richness of the experience. In contrast, children immerse themselves fully in each activity. An afternoon at the pool or an impromptu soccer game is recorded with such intensity that it extends the perception of time.
### The Science Behind Perception
From William James to current neuroscience, studies agree that [there is a difference in how adults and children perceive time]. Experiments show that children estimate fun activities as longer than adults perceive them. Additionally, dopamine – neurotransmitter linked to learning – is released more intensely during new experiences, reinforcing memory and the feeling of duration.
### How to “Extend” Vacations
Reclaiming a childlike perspective can help us stretch our days of rest:
– **Break the routine:** Try new activities or visit unfamiliar places.
– **Live in the present:** Mindfulness practice slows down perception.
– **Reduce the rush:** Fewer plans can mean more real enjoyment.
– **Record memories:** Diaries or photos help consolidate the memory of what was experienced.
The summers still last the same amount of time. It is us who perceive them differently. Childhood turns each day into a discovery, while adulthood reduces it to a parenthesis. The key may lie in regaining the intensity of a child’s gaze: being open to the unexpected, living with full attention, and letting each experience prolong the time.
Source: [Original article link]
