These PhD-Approved Tricks Make You Feel Like You Have More Hours In The Day

The key to maximizing your time? Savoring the time you have—even the seemingly mundane experiences. According to Holmes, it’s common to experience “hedonic adaptation2” as you grow older, which means that extraordinary events become increasingly more ordinary, so you savor them less. 

To offset this natural response, simply pay attention: “Recognize that [these experiences] are not forever,” says Holmes. “Actually count the times left and recognize that, ‘Holy cow, this, too, is limited, and that draws your attention and increases your tendency to savor.”

Not to mention, if you think back and reflect on which experiences made you feel awe-struck, chances are they’re actually quite ordinary. “Maybe it was the awe from noticing an amazing sunset, or maybe it was the awe from seeing your kids’ delight the first time they walked into Disney World,” Holmes says. “There is so much extraordinary happiness if we notice, and if we don’t notice and if we don’t savor it, then it’s past and it’s lost.”