Why Does Time Feel Faster as We Grow Older?

Great question—this is something almost everyone notices as they age.

When we’re kids, time feels slow: a summer vacation seems endless, and waiting for a birthday feels like forever. But as we grow older, years seem to fly by. There are a few reasons scientists and psychologists give for this:

1. Proportional Time – When you’re 10 years old, one year is 10% of your entire life. That feels huge! But at 40, one year is just 2.5% of your life, so it feels relatively shorter.

2. Novelty vs. Routine – Childhood is filled with “firsts” (first school day, first trip, first bike ride). Our brains remember new experiences in rich detail, which makes time feel slower. As adults, life becomes more routine, so days blur together and feel shorter.

3. Brain Processing – As we age, our brain’s dopamine levels and processing speed change. This affects how vividly we perceive and store experiences, making time seem to move quicker.

4. Attention & Busyness – Adults juggle responsibilities—work, family, bills. When we’re distracted and busy, we don’t notice time passing until it’s gone.

👉 In short: time feels faster as we age because each year is a smaller fraction of our life, our experiences become more routine, and our brain processes events differently.