How Does Time Perception Change During Stress?

Time can feel faster or slower when you're stressed, just like how a big cookie feels bigger when it's your favorite.

Imagine you’re playing with your toys and suddenly, a loud noise happens, maybe the dog barked or someone dropped a plate. You jump up, surprised. That moment felt longer, like it took forever for everything to calm down again. Your brain was paying extra attention because something unexpected happened.

Now imagine you’re running late for school and your backpack is stuck in the door. Time feels like it's moving faster, all the things you have to do seem to happen at once, like a big race where everything needs to be done quickly.

When you're stressed, your brain is working harder, trying to figure out what’s going on. That can make time feel slower when something new happens, and faster when there's a lot to do all at once, just like how sometimes the day feels super long, and other times it zips by in no time!