When the need to watch the clock disappears, like during the holidays, our brains respond in intriguing ways. Photo: Unsplash
There's something strange about the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Days blur together, hours float benignly by, and if you're lucky you'll find yourself in that sweet spot wondering, "What day is it again?" It's as if time itself takes a holiday, leaving us untethered in a strange, magical timelessness. But what's really happening to our brains during this temporal drift?
Why we're so tied to time
"Our lives are incredibly structured around time," explains clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland. "Most of us are pretty wedded to the clock simply because we need it to structure our lives: from your 6am alarm, to having to drop the kids off in a certain time window, to appointments throughout the day."
Clinical psychologist Dougal Sutherland. Photo: sueallmanpeople ©2016
But it's not just about appointments and alarms. Psychology Professor Sarah Cowie from Auckland University highlights that timekeeping is embedded into how we live, even when we don't consciously realise it.
"Our sleep-wake cycles are (at least partially) wedded to time; our memories of past events are embedded in time," she says. "That feeling of wanting a snack at a particular time of day, even when you've recently had an unusually large meal, is the result of timekeeping."
Cowie points out how unconscious some of these processes are: "If you've ever slipped your car into gear at a familiar intersection just before the light goes green, woken just before your alarm sounds, or checked a batch of scones shortly before your timer goes off, that's most likely you keeping time."
And it's not just humans who do this. "Timing isn't a human-only thing. We know all sorts of animals also track the passage of time," she explains. "Timekeeping is a survival skill."
That said, our perception of time is incredibly subjective. "It flies when you're having fun, and crawls by when you're not," Cowie says. "Some physicists even suggest time is a construct, it isn't even real."
What happens when timekeeping stops?
When the need to watch the clock disappears, like during the holidays, our brains respond in intriguing ways.
"Most people experience a sense of relief and freedom from being able to unhitch from the clock," says Sutherland. "It can give our brain an opportunity to be creative and think about things you might not otherwise have time to think about, and even potentially come up with some new ideas."
"It's similar to having lots of apps open on your phone-when we've got lots of appointments scheduled and are running to the clock, we have less available 'free space' to do other things. Unhitching from time constraints means we close other 'apps' and have more free space in our mind."
Cowie is more skeptical of the idea that the brain can fully stop keeping time. "Maybe the need stops on some level - we don't need to pick the kids up from school over the holidays, Home and Away isn't airing until the new year, so there's no need to keep track of the passing hours - but does it ever really stop?"
"Time is such a central part of all sorts of the things we do, even our memories about past events. Many of them are unconscious or automatic."
How long does it take to lose track of time?
It depends less on duration and more on circumstances.
"This will vary a bit and probably depends a lot on how much you can be removed from cues that remind you of your normal 9-to-5 life," Sutherland explains.
Cowie suggests it's less about how long you've been away from the clock and more about your focus. "Our brains are less accurate at timing long durations than short ones," she says.
"I suspect it's not so much a case of 'how long' but 'under what circumstances. If you're focusing all your attention on something that isn't time, you're less likely to be consciously aware of how much time has passed."
How to lose track of time when time is running out
If you're looking to embrace that timeless holiday feeling, Sutherland and Cowie have a few suggestions.
"People may find they switch off quicker when they're away from home and in a different environment than normal, as there are fewer things to remind them of time," Sutherland says. "Switching off notifications from apps on your devices can help too. Deliberately not scheduling activities for a particular time, and just doing them 'whenever,' can be a good tip as well."
It's easier to switch off if you're away from home. Photo: Unsplash
Cowie emphasises the importance of finding something absorbing. "Our brains have limited attentional resources - if you're absorbed in a good book or an exciting conversation, or concentrating hard on measuring and cutting timber to build a cabin, your brain has less attention to pay to the passage of time."
And the simplest solution? "Get rid of clocks-and anything with a clock, like phones or laptops," Cowie says.
Why it's worth letting time go
Beyond the fun of not knowing what day it is, there are deeper benefits to losing track of time.
"In addition to the impact on our mind and brain, being able to lose track of time generally helps people have a really tangible sense of getting away from normal life," says Sutherland. "There can be a real sense of joy and appreciation of life in those moments when you suddenly realise that you don't know what day it is and are not really sure of the time."
Cowie agrees. "If you find that more time has passed than you realised, that's often a sign that you're focusing on something else and getting enjoyment out of that," she says. "Not attending to time might also help us unwind - less focus on having to be somewhere or do something, and more focus on (and potentially ability to enjoy) the present."
As we drift through the odd, languid days of the holiday break, perhaps we should lean into this timelessness. Forget the clock, lose track of the days, and savor the freedom to crack open a beer before midday because, hey, it already feels like lunchtime.