Does life feel like it’s speeding up? How to slow down time in 2025

Time flies when you're... in a boring routine, according to research, which shows that new experiences, from foreign travel to a walk in nature, can alter our perception of time

It's the time of the year for endless cliches. From tis the season" and the gift that keeps on giving" to new year, new you", there's nowhere to hide from tired old phrases. One of my favourites is Christmas comes around quicker each year" - which ignores the fact that one year equals one trip around the sun.

There's often a kernel of truth in a cliche, though. A recent study by Ruth Ogden from Liverpool John Moores University and colleagues showed that the vast majority of people in both the UK and Iraq really did experience Christmas (or Ramadan) approaching more rapidly every year. This may be down partly to festive decorations appearing ever earlier in the season. But it's also a result of how we perceive time psychologically.