Time flies. A very common remark and something all of us will experience at some point or already have experienced. Research shows us that there is a few different reasons for why this might be happening.

Time perception has been a mystery for decades and there is still a large amount of research dedicated to answer how it happens and what areas of the brain really enable us to perceive time.

It is suggested that in order to perceive time correctly we need to have good working memory which is localized to our frontal and parietal lobes. To perceive the passing of time we need to be able to mark the beginning of an event. As time passes we need to be able to update the information and compare it to beginning of the event marker.

If our working memory declines, which is shown to happen as we age, so does our perception of time and thus time seems to pass quicker.

As we age our midbrain produces less Dopamine which is a powerful neurotransmitter. When dopamine is released it stimulates our frontal lobes. Our frontal lobes are in charge of, among other things, our perception and our executive functions. As we age with less dopamine and less frontal lobe activation – processing, awareness and perception slows down which makes time seem like its passing quicker.

This is why daily exercise, a healthy diet and exercising your brain is important. Exercise in general will activate your cerebellum which  drives the opposite mesecephalon which is in charge of Dopamine release which in turn will activate your frontal lobes and may increase time perception accuracy.

If you would like to optimize your brain function specific to your needs, EBC are happy to help. Contact us for more information.

 

2 april, 2019