Why does time seem to go slower when we're bored?

Why does time seem to go slower when we're bored?

Time flies when you're having fun, but on the other hand...


Asked by: Chris Moore, Andover

Although we feel sluggish and tired when we’re bored, at a physiological level it’s actually a ‘high arousal’ state (as measured by a faster heart rate). In turn, it’s well-established that greater arousal speeds up our brain’s ‘internal clock’, so that we feel that more time has passed than actually has. Another theory is that the apparent slowing down of time is a kind of signal our brain sends to itself to convey that the current situation is unfulfilling and we should do something else.

Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun facts.

© Getty Images