How to Make Time Pass Faster

Take a Walk. Going outside and breathing in fresh air can help you forget about time and reduce stress. Take a few moments to walk around your neighborhood or office building. Even if you only have 10 minutes, taking a walk is a great way to lose track of time. Not only is it good for your health, but it also helps make time seem to move faster.

• Try inviting a colleague or friend to walk with you to make it more enjoyable. For example, during work, you could take a break and walk with a colleague. Bring along a cup of coffee, tea, or any drink to enjoy the fresh air and a pleasant conversation.
• If you can't go outside, try walking inside the building. Take a stroll through your office or work area, or walk down the hallway.
• If you're stuck at school or work and can't go for a walk, try doing some discreet exercises like stretching your muscles. You can do this at your desk, in front of the TV, or in your bedroom. If you're on a long flight or train ride, try stretching your legs or arms.
• Women can also do Kegel exercises.

Meditation. Initially, it might not seem like this will make time pass faster, but with practice, you can achieve a state of "timelessness." The mind often tracks time, and meditation helps to silence all thoughts.

• If you’ve never meditated before, you can find guided meditation videos on YouTube to help you get started.
• You can even meditate while moving, like when jogging. Choose a mantra to focus on and repeat it throughout the day.
• If meditation doesn’t suit your active mind, try daydreaming. Imagine yourself in a different place, a story, a conversation, or anything that captures your interest.
• Alternatively, try deep breathing. Slow, deep breaths can create a calming, balanced state and might help you enjoy your current situation more than you expect. Try inhaling for 8 counts, holding your breath, and exhaling for 8 counts. Repeat this until it feels natural and you can let your thoughts wander peacefully.

Take a Power Nap. Taking a short nap might not seem like an exciting activity, but it can help you lose track of time and leave you feeling more refreshed when you wake up. Whenever you’re struggling through a midday slump at work, working a night shift, pulling overtime, or fighting drowsiness while driving, find a safe place to take a quick nap. It can help you stay alert and improve your productivity.

• Take a 20-minute nap to recharge, or sleep longer to completely escape from time.

Write in a Journal or Blog. Writing is a wonderful way to organize your thoughts and can also make time seem to fly by. Write down whatever comes to mind in a journal, or start a blog about a topic that interests you. You could set up a blog on creative writing, video games, or anything else you’re passionate about!

• Set aside time for journaling or blogging every day, like 30 minutes in the morning or after school.
• Starting a blog is easy with platforms like WordPress and Blogger, but it can also take up a lot of time, making it a great way to pass the hours. You can design your blog with colors, fonts, and images to give it your own unique style.

Hang Out with Friends. Spend a few hours chatting, laughing, or doing anything with friends to pass the time. You’ll need company when you’re bored, and the more people, the better. However, even if you can only hang out with one person, it’s still more enjoyable than being alone.

• If your friends are unavailable, take the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend you’ve been wanting to catch up with but haven’t had the time to call.
• Even a 5-minute conversation with a friend or colleague can help you forget about time and ease your boredom.

Listen to Music. Whether you're at home, school, or work, music brings joy and helps make the day feel like it’s passing faster. Try listening to music during the day to lose track of time, or play a new song or your favorite tune between classes or tasks.

• For example, if you’re studying, you could listen to some energetic electronic songs to help time fly.
• Or, while working, use music as a reward after completing each task on your to-do list.

Watch a TV show or your favorite old movie. If you’re at home and looking to kill time, choose a TV show or binge-watch a full movie series! This is a great way to forget about time and indulge in entertainment.

• Head to YouTube or Netflix and search for your childhood favorites, such as Journey to the West, Glass Flowers, The Southern Land, Little House on the Prairie, Ocean Girl, The Adventures of Sinbad, The Little Dragon, Princess Huán Chāo – see if the emotions they stir are still the same.
• Alternatively, you could watch a movie you missed when it was in theaters, such as the latest superhero movie or an award-winning film everyone around you is talking about.

Play Phone Games. Most phones come with at least one free game, like Tetris or Pac-Man, which can help make time feel like it’s passing by faster. However, this should be saved for when you’re not at school or work.

• If you’re at home and have a gaming console or computer games, this is a perfect opportunity to kill time.

Do Something You Enjoy. A great way to pass time is by doing something that brings you joy. If you’re at school or work, try to figure out what you can do to make the tasks more enjoyable. If you’re at home, think about what you love to do to have fun and get lost in it.

• For example, if you can take on a creative project at school or work, start it right away. If you’re at home, choose a hobby or activity that helps you lose track of time, like knitting, baking, playing guitar, or gaming.

Read a Book. By immersing yourself in a thick book you love, hours will fly by in no time! You could read works by Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, historical books about the Imperial City of Huế, or dive into a book about a country that piques your interest. What you read will add to your knowledge base.

• If sitting down to read is tough, try listening to audiobooks. This can be especially helpful when doing long workouts or other physical activities.

Do Homework. No one thinks that doing algebra homework or reading about the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren (often known as "Old Kinderhook"), can make you lose track of time. In fact, you might not love the task, but once you get started and glance at the clock, you'll notice that time flies by. If you make a habit of tackling homework whenever you're trying to kill time, your academic performance will improve dramatically!

• You can even study in groups and relax a bit with friends while completing the homework. Just make sure the relaxation doesn’t go on too long, or you might not finish.
• If you don't have homework, you can always tackle things from your to-do list for the day or week. Think of tasks you want to complete and create a list to take action on now or later.

Clean Your Bedroom. First, get rid of any food packaging, cardboard, or miscellaneous items you can’t donate, and anything else that’s making your room cluttered. Next, tidy up your furniture, handling one item at a time until you have a neat bed, desk, drawers, wardrobe, and more. If you have one or two free hours, clean a portion of your room and take pride in your accomplishment.

• To make it even more fun, ask your sibling or a friend to help you out!
• You could also donate clothes you no longer wear to charity. This way, you’ll feel proud of both your kind gesture and the effort you put into tidying up your wardrobe.
• If you’ve been procrastinating on cleaning tasks like organizing your wardrobe or arranging your jewelry drawers, now is the perfect time to tackle them.