I'm breaking my routine

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An article in The Atlantic, “The Psychological Secret to Longevity,” by Arthur C. Brooks — a bestselling author, Harvard professor, and columnist — caught my eye a few weeks back. Eager to learn another “secret” for a longer life, I quickly clicked on the column.

Brooks begins by stating a common phenomenon that many of us experience: time speeds up with age (or more broadly, time warps, depending on our subjective experience of time’s passing), because of various reasons, including age, your circadian rhythm, and what you are experiencing, also known as tachypsychia.

Brooks writes, “All of the philosophy and research of experienced time yields this bitter irony: The more you enjoy yourself, especially in the second half of life, the faster time passes.”

And then we reach the juiciest part — three ways to alter the effects of time perception and live longer, subjectively speaking.

Brooks advises:

1. Meaning is greater than fun. You can maximize your time by developing denser memories and creating more memorable experiences. We’re not talking about mundane memories, but once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experiences that leave a mark.

2. Savor the moments. Unsurprisingly, being purposeful and present in your life and focusing on what’s right in front of you can make your life feel a great deal longer. Savor, savor, savor.

3. Avoid routine. This shouldn’t feel surprising, but it sure feels like an attack on my Type A personality. Novelty = denser memories and a subjectively longer life. Routines and familiarity = autopilot mode (and the potential for time to pass more quickly).

I paused. “No routine?! I could never!” But as time passed (oh, the irony), and my thoughts simmered, I realized I’d been marching toward the routine avoidance camp for years.

When my workdays feel monotonous, I look for the next novel opportunity. If my weekends lack excitement, I fall into a funk. When I take the same running route, I lose interest in my surroundings (and worry that someone will memorize my route and follow me — yikes!).

There’s value in routine. Fewer decisions mean more cognitive capacity. More fluidity throughout the day arguably makes it easier to achieve more. Doing something repeatedly because it’s your favorite is never a poor use of time.

But is living the same day repeatedly truly the best we can do to live a full life?

You don’t have to break up with routines entirely, but maybe there’s room in your life to explore the unfamiliar. Introduce novelty. Take a different route. Try new foods. Rearrange your environment. Agree to a spontaneous activity or trip. Take a chance and feel your perspective of time shift.

💌 Mixing up your routine today? This week? This month? Reply and tell me all about it! I’d love to hear from you.

Time well spent: weekly roundup

Your next intentional move

I’m skipping the roundup this week to shorten this issue, but you can always browse the full list of intentional prompts!

Until next time

• If you enjoyed last week’s issue about how football season means more time with my family (and how that time decreases as we age), you’ll enjoy:

  • Colin Rocker’s recent issue of his newsletter, First Things First: Who do you owe a phonecall to?

  • 6 Reasons Being a Fan Is Good For You, According to Science by Nice News

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One more thing before you go…

I’m Alyssa Towns, and this is Time Intentional, a newsletter exploring what it means to spend our limited (and precious) time intentionally. Extend your love and support by sharing this newsletter with someone you know or buying me a coffee! ☕

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