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Vox ·Smart escape

How to Slow Down Time When Life Keeps Speeding Up

by Shayla Love

Published 2026-07-19 08:00:00-04:00

Is it possible to stretch the hours of a day by simply letting yourself get bored?

0:00 / 12:14 · Narrator Sulafat

Context

Shayla Love looks at the specific panic of a parent watching the years accelerate, a feeling that often intensifies as routines harden. Writing on 19 July 2026, Love asks why a childhood summer once felt like an eternity while a modern work week now vanishes in a blink. The answer isn't necessarily more vacations or constant new experiences, but a surprising willingness to sit with ordinary moments. Brain science and Buddhist practice suggest that stretching the day might actually require the one thing most people try to avoid: being bored.

Show notes

The human sense of time often accelerates with age, but specific habits and mental focus can change this perception. Novelty, memory, and fear all influence how the brain stretches the sense of duration. Buddhist philosophy further suggests that paying attention to routine chores and embracing boredom can make daily life feel more expansive.

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