When was the last time you heard yourself saying, “Where did the time go?” or “The older I get, the faster time seems to go.” The truth is, most people in our society feel that time is slipping by us at lightning speed, and with so many things to do in our busy lives, we rarely feel like we have the time to do everything it is we want to do. Want to slow down time? I’ll tell you the secret as to how you can do this!

We know we can’t really slow time down, but we can slow down our perception of time and there are two key ways in which you can do this. Firstly, practice mindfulness. Simply put, just be aware of yourself, your thoughts and your feelings throughout your day. You can do this by developing a little mindfulness ritual by stopping what you’re doing and pay attention to your breathing every hour. Doing this for even a minute every hour throughout your day will leave you feeling calmer, more engaged and more creative with your ideas.

The second key to slowing down time is to take a break as in a vacation, getaway or anything that takes you out of your daily routine. Now this doesn’t have to be a large scale, expensive getaway. It simply means make getting away from your daily or weekly routine. It can be a weekend away once a month or once every other month, or it can mean taking shorter but more frequent vacations. Studies show that people who deliberately take these mini-vacations, are happier, less stressed and more fulfilled with their lives. That’s because getting away from the routine actually encourages you to appreciate your life when you do return to you it, therefore, giving you the perception that time isn’t going by as quickly. The fun and good times you and your loved ones will experience during these breaks in your life will provide beautiful memories for you to look back on throughout the year. Why not pack up the kids this weekend and just drive for a couple of hours? See where your path may lead and be present to all that is around you.

Taking frequent breaks from your life, along with practising mindfulness, will enable you to feel as though you have time to accomplish your dreams and goals, and hopefully, at the end of the year, instead of looking back and wondering where the year went or what you accomplished, you will have a rich collection of special memories and new experiences upon which to reminisce.