How to Make Time Last Longer During Your Holidays: A Science-Backed Guide to Expanding Your Experience

Have you ever noticed how holidays seem to fly by in a blur, leaving you wondering where all that precious time went? As someone deeply committed to wellbeing practices, I’ve been exploring this phenomenon both personally and through scientific research. What I’ve discovered might just transform how you experience your next getaway.

We’ve all been there – you plan the perfect holiday, anticipate it for weeks, then suddenly you’re packing to go home wondering how two weeks passed like two days. But what if I told you that science has uncovered specific ways to literally expand your perception of time, making your holidays feel both richer in the moment and longer in memory?

The Science of Time Perception: Why Some Holidays Feel Like Forever (In the Best Way)

Recent neuroscience research reveals something fascinating: our brains don’t experience time like a clock. Instead, we measure time by the richness and novelty of our experiences. When we encounter new situations, our brains work harder to process and encode information, creating what scientists call “memory density” – and dense memories feel like they lasted longer.

Dr. David Eagleman’s research shows that novel experiences force our brains out of autopilot mode. Meanwhile, studies by Sonja Lyubomirsky demonstrate that people engaging in varied activities report feeling like their time periods lasted significantly longer than those who stuck to familiar routines.

This isn’t just academic theory – it’s something I’ve been experimenting with personally, and the results have been remarkable.

Strategy 1: Embrace Novel Experiences (Yes, Even the Slightly Uncomfortable Ones)

The Science: Your hippocampus becomes more active during new experiences, creating multiple memory anchors that expand your sense of time. Research by Claudia Hammond shows that novel experiences create more memory markers, making time periods feel extended when we look back.

My Personal Journey: I’ve always been drawn to new experiences, but this year I’ve been even more intentional about seeking out novelty, and the difference in time perception has been profound.

Recently, I attended my first antique fair – something completely outside my usual interests. What struck me wasn’t just the beautiful objects, but how intensely present I became while examining handcrafted pieces from decades past. That single afternoon felt like it contained more experience than entire days I’d spent in familiar settings.

I’ve also been exploring air yoga, which was completely new territory for me. Suspended in silk hammocks, focusing on breath and movement, created such a rich, novel experience that those hour-long sessions felt wonderfully expanded. Each class created distinct, vivid memories that make those weeks feel fuller and longer when I reflect back.

For Your Holidays:

• Try activities that make you slightly nervous (in a good way) – exotic food tours in local markets, sunrise hot air balloon rides, or learning traditional dance from locals
• Visit places that challenge your usual preferences – if you love beaches, try mountains; if you’re a city person, explore rural villages
• Engage different senses deliberately – spice markets, textile workshops, music performances by local artists

Consider This: When you return home, wouldn’t you rather have stories about haggling with emerald dealers in Bogotá, or holding a baby goat in your arms in Cyprus, rather than “we had a nice time at the resort”?

 

Strategy 2: Practice Deep Presence (Your Phone Can Wait)

The Science: Marc Wittmann’s research at the Institute for Frontier Areas shows that mindful attention literally changes our neural processing of time. When we’re fully present, brain regions involved in detailed sensory processing become more active, creating what neuroscientists call “expanded present moments.”

My Experience with Sound Meditation: One of the most profound time-expansion experiences I’ve had came through sound meditation with Tibetan singing bowls and gongs. During a recent session, what felt like a brief, timeless moment turned out to be nearly two hours. The rich, layered sounds created such an immersive present-moment experience that my usual sense of time completely dissolved.

This experience led me to understand viscerally what the research shows – when we’re deeply present, we encode incredibly rich sensory information, making those experiences feel both eternal in the moment and expansive in memory.

Practical Applications for Travel:

• Choose one experience daily to be completely phone-free and fully present
• Practice “soft gazing” – spend time observing your environment without agenda or documentation
• Engage in slow, deliberate activities like mindful walking or eating
• Try sound healing, meditation retreats, or breathwork sessions if available at your destination

Personal Insight: I’ve started what I call “morning presence practice” during travels – spending the first 30 minutes after waking simply observing my environment before reaching for my phone. Those quiet moments of awareness often become the most memorable parts of my days.

Strategy 3: Create Digital Boundaries (Trust Me, the World Will Wait)

The Science: Research by Adam Gazzaley shows that digital multitasking creates “attention residue” – part of our brain remains focused on devices even when we’re engaged in real-world activities. This divided attention prevents the deep encoding necessary for rich time perception.

My Digital Detox Experiments: This year, I’ve been experimenting with “airplane mode adventures” – keeping my phone purely for photos while staying disconnected from notifications and social media. The difference in experience quality is remarkable. Without the constant pull of digital stimulation, I find myself noticing details I would have missed: the way light changes throughout the day, conversations with locals, the actual taste of food rather than how it looks on Instagram.

During a recent weekend retreat focused on breathwork – specifically some transformative 9D breathwork sessions – participants were encouraged to leave devices behind entirely. Those two days felt like a week of regular vacation time, packed with insight, connection, and present-moment awareness.

Creating Your Digital Strategy:

• Establish “phone-free zones” – meals, nature walks, evening wind-down time
• Use your phone intentionally for photos, then put it away to experience what you just captured
• Try “digital sunsets” – devices off after a certain evening hour
• Replace phone-reaching habits with environmental observation

The Compound Effect: When It All Comes Together

Here’s what I’ve discovered through personal experimentation: when you combine novelty-seeking, mindful presence, and digital boundaries, something magical happens. Time doesn’t just feel longer – it feels richer, more meaningful, more yours.

Last month, I attended a local artisan fair (novel experience), practiced mindful attention to the craftspeople’s techniques (present-moment awareness), and kept my phone tucked away except for a few intentional photos (digital boundaries). That single afternoon created more vivid, lasting memories than entire weeks of routine vacation time.

Your Invitation to Expanded Experience: How I Weave Time-Expansion Into My Retreats

Whether you’re planning an exotic retreat, a weekend getaway, or simply want to expand your perception of daily life, these strategies offer a scientifically-backed pathway to richer, longer-feeling experiences.

Designing Retreats for Expanded Time: In all the retreats I organize, I deliberately incorporate these time-expansion elements because I’ve witnessed their transformative power firsthand. On our recent Cyprus retreat, we didn’t just practice yoga and relax by the pool. We visited a traditional goat farm where participants watched – and participated in – the ancient art of halloumi cheese-making. The tactile experience of working with fresh curds, the unfamiliar sounds and smells of the farm, the conversations with local farmers created incredibly rich sensory memories.

But the magic truly happened when evening came and we found ourselves spontaneously dancing with the farmers against the backdrop of the Troodos Mountains. That single evening, filled with authentic cultural exchange, novel experiences, and complete presence (phones forgotten in favor of pure joy), created memories that every participant described as feeling “timeless yet eternal.”

 The Norway Adventure Awaits: As a novelty experience, I’m thrilled to offer something completely different – our upcoming Pilates & Yoga retreat in Norway at the end of summer. Imagine practicing yoga against the backdrop of pristine fjords, engaging with local Sami culture, and experiencing the unique light of the Nordic late summer. There are still a few spots available for this extraordinary journey: wellbeingstrategist.com/pilates-yoga-camp-norway/