Adults Without Time

That time is relative is a very popular truth and a phrase attributed to the German scientist Albert Einstein, contained in his most famous theory, which basically states that the difference lies in the speed of movement of an object relative to the rest.

Beyond physics and its laws, we don't need to know that time isn't absolute, as was once believed, as the Englishman Isaac Newton asserted centuries ago, for example. While it's true that an hour will always be 60 minutes, we're referring to our perception of that time. Why did we have so much more time when we were children? Or so we thought, because in our childhood mist, we'd get home from school at 4:30 in the afternoon, have a snack, do our homework, play, watch some TV, take a bath, have dinner—all before going to bed round at 8:00 in the evening.

Now, sadly, we rush through everything, we procrastinate, we have a huge list of important things to do, and we feel that progress is too slow because time flies by, and we wish the day had at least 30 hours, because we think that way we'd have a little more time.

The truth is, we could answer that, in this case, relativity stems from the fact that as children we spent less time on a given activity, whether due to restlessness or boredom, which is why we accomplished more. As adults, however, our responsibilities are greater, more demanding, and more complex. You can't compare two actions like cooking for four people and coloring an illustration in a notebook, an illustration that might remain unfinished for later and is therefore alternated with other forms of entertainment, thus creating the illusion of having accomplished more.

It's relative, yes. It's common to want to do more than we can and to complain about how quickly the hours pass in adulthood. We don't have enough time, and we constantly procrastinate. For psychologists and neurologists, this perceptual issue is more than just a feeling; it has concrete reasons. Some claim that the brain uses the entirety of a person's life as a reference point for measuring the passage of time; therefore, a day is not the same for a five-year-old as it is for a 40-year-old person. In each case, it represents 20% and 2.5% of a lifetime, respectively.

Furthermore, there's the novelty factor for children, when everything is a constant discovery and learning experience, like a blank canvas. That's why we retain so many memories and details of everything we do, even if it only lasts a few minutes. We then believe it happened over a longer period. Later, as adults, the opposite happens because of routine, automatic activities, and the need to multitask and do many things at once.

There are so many responsibilities that can't be delegated or postponed that in a typical day, there might only be a few minutes of real free time available. It's not that it passes faster, it's that we have less control over it; everything is urgent, and we're constantly aware of the time factor.

This is how it is. To make it less overwhelming, we can pay more attention to the other aspects of life and not disconnect, even when we could be present. For example, if we're walking or on a bus and get lost in our thoughts without enjoying the journey; Also, changing routines is important because making small variations will unblock the brain, as will introducing hobbies, as much as possible, so that the mind uses progressive learning and regains curiosity with new experiences. This will make us feel eager and make time, which is the same, seem longer.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / Cubasi Translation Staff