Why time felt softer when we were kids (joujis' take on time and how we can get it back)
Lately, there’s been a rise in nostalgiacore—a soft ache for childhood captured in hazy photos, the glow of old TV screens playing Cartoon Network, and the lo-fi hum of Nintendo soundtracks. Social media (espcially instagram) is full of captions like
“I wish I could go back.”
“Nothing will ever feel like this again.”
And in the comments, a flood of shared emotion:
“This makes me cry.”
“Why does everything feel so different now?”
It’s more than just missing our youth. It’s a grief for how time felt. As kids, days stretched forever. Summers felt endless. Waiting for a birthday felt like waiting for eternity. Now? You blink, and it’s July again.
We think it’s because we were young—but really, it’s because we were present.
Why Time Felt Slower Then (with science)
1. Everything Was New
As children, our brains were constantly learning. Every smell, sound, texture—every walk to school or trip to the shop—felt rich and vivid because it was unfamiliar. Our brains were alert, absorbing everything.
2. Novelty Makes Time Feel Longer
This is called the Oddball Effect: when something unusual happens, it sticks in memory and feels longer. As kids, life was full of “oddball moments”: first sleepover, first snowfall, first time riding a bike. As adults, new experiences are rare—so days blur together.
3. Time Feels Shorter as You Age
This is the Proportional Theory: at age 10, a year is 10% of your life. At age 30, it’s just over 3%. The older we get, the smaller each year feels.
4. Routine Compresses Time
The brain is efficient. It stops paying attention to repeated experiences. That’s why you might arrive at work and not remember the drive. This is the Predictability Trap: routine flattens memory, and memory is what fills time.
How to Slow Time Down Again
You don’t need a time machine. You need presence.
Try what your younger self did naturally:
Notice the little things. Watch how sunlight moves across your room. Listen to the rustling of leaves.
Break routine. Sit somewhere new. Take a different path home. Change even the tiniest detail.
Do things slowly. Drink tea and actually taste it. Feel its warmth. Let small things matter.
Go tech-free for a bit. Take a walk without your phone. Let the world speak to you again.
Engage your senses. Touch different textures. Smell the air after it rains. Wake your body up.
Being Present
When you’re fully present, your brain lights up—especially the insula, the part linked to awareness and sensation. This is what mindfulness really is: not emptying the mind, but coming back to the moment.
You Don’t Miss Childhood—You Miss Being Present
The reason childhood felt magical wasn’t just because you were young.
It was because you were there for it.
You felt time passing slowly because you were paying attention—truly, deeply.
And the good news? You can feel that again. Because time hasn’t sped up—we’ve just stopped noticing it.
But we can start again.
Right now.
Jouji