How To Make Time Pass Faster With Pictures

It’s easy enough to keep a slim paperback or an electronic reader in your bag for unexpected waits. Similarly, if you’re tossing and turning in anticipation of your upcoming vacation or big date, turning to a book is a great way to feed your mind and distract it at the same time![1] X Research source

Other great ways to distract yourself include watching movies, getting caught up on the latest hit television shows, playing video games, or knitting.

If you’re waiting for a flight or an appointment, for example, you may not be able to leave the premises, but you still may be able to fit in a short walk. There’s no need to stay parked in the waiting area outside your gate at the airport, given that there are signs with flight info at regular intervals . Moving your body and stretching your limbs can help you deal with the wait.

This is a great step to combine with the one above (move your body): if you’re concerned that you’ll still be focused on what you’re waiting for (for example, maybe you have an important job interview in the morning), pop in your ear-buds as you get moving. It’s hard to worry about waiting while trying to sing along with your favorite tune.

Without being obnoxious or intrusive, engage in a little bit of eavesdropping. But don’t get into their personal lives. That could lead to a lot of trouble and drama if you do. Invent back-stories for the people you see: write them down for your own amusement or text your observations to a friend.

Of course it’s annoying to have to wait at the doctor’s office 45 minutes past your appointment time. Instead of fuming and checking your watch every few seconds, though, do what you can to cross other tasks off your to-do list. [4] X Expert Source Lucy YehCareer & Life Coach Expert Interview. 21 November 2019. Use the time you have to spend waiting cleaning up your email inbox, writing thank-you notes (keep a few blank note-cards in your bag), filing your nails, journaling, etc.

For example, maybe you have to run twelve hard 400s (for non-track folks, this is a tough running workout: a 400 is once around the quarter-mile track; if you’re running it hard, you are almost sprinting). Instead of counting down from twelve, think of the workout as being divided into four sets of three. Your immediate focus will be on the first set, and you only have to get through three laps. By the time you’ve finished that, you’ll only have three sets left. Perhaps you are dreading getting through a difficult standardized exam that will take up all day. Instead of thinking that you have six hours of testing to endure, though, focus on just getting through the individual sections: the quantitative reasoning section, the language section, the writing section, etc.

If you’re trying to make time pass faster (enduring a travel delay or getting through a rough day at work, for example) obsessing over the clock will only reinforce your frustration and boredom. If at all possible, put your watch or clock out of sight. If you absolutely need to be ready at certain time, set an alarm and then resolve not to peek before it goes off.

Though there’s no guarantee that time will suddenly zip by if you remove your sweater, it certainly won’t hurt.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep because you’re so eager for tomorrow’s plans (or anxious at what awaits you), try meditation or relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep more quickly.

Perhaps you are struggling to get through the day-to-day grind of a terrible summer job that you need to pay for college tuition. Summer can seem like an eternity when you’re stuck in a job you hate, but reminding yourself daily about why you’ve committed to this will help you get through it. As motivation, consider keeping a copy of your fall course schedule in your pocket at work, or wear a pin with your school’s insignia.

You’d get good use out of a new computer if it was suddenly given to you, but you’ll appreciate it more if your gratification is delayed. You may have hated having to deal with your old model, but waiting (and being stuck with your old clunker for so long) will make your new computer seem so much more awesome by comparison once you finally manage to get it.

For example, you may be separated from a loved-one and are facing many more lonely weeks before you can be reunited. It’s great to spend some of your time planning for their return, but if all you do is focus on far-away day, you’re current loneliness and impatience will likely increase and perhaps become unbearable. Now is the perfect time for you to work on training for a marathon, take up gardening or woodworking, make the perfect loaf of bread, etc.

For example, you may be able to reduce your risk of hypertension and the healing process may be improved if you are able to maintain a positive outlook about your situation. [7] X Research source There is evidence that negative emotions can slow down our perception of time. [8] X Research source Our time is more focused on what we’re going through when we’re depressed, anxious, or bored, and so it will feel as though time is moving more slowly.

There are actually some benefits to having a (slightly) pessimistic outlook. If you end up getting a poor score on your exam, for example, you won’t have been blind-sided. Spending some time imagining the worst-case scenario can better prepare you for what is hopefully just an unlikely outcome. If the worst does come to pass, you may be better prepared to move forward. [9] X Research source

For example, in a recent study, participants who were asked to remain emotionally neutral when watching clips from a tear-jerker judged that the clip was significantly longer than did those who hadn’t been asked to control their emotions. [10] X Research source

Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, tutor area children, help your elderly neighbor with her yard-work—there are innumerable ways to use your talents and skills to help those in your community. One of the most effective ways to find happiness and fulfillment in your own life is to not make your own happiness your explicit goal, but to instead aim to make others happy. Being happy and enjoying what you are doing will in turn help you with your own quest to be patient. You may have heard that time flies when you’re having fun, and there’s some research to indicate that our perceptions of time really do quicken when we’re enjoying ourselves. [12] X Research source

Write down what is going well in your life and what your sources of happiness are. This will help you maintain a positive outlook and keep things in perspective. Be sure to grab opportunities to have fun when they present themselves!