# Life's Not Too Bad

Since late last year life's been going pretty well. Things that used to weigh heavily on my mind are no longer so burdensome. I've reclaimed my 'live in the moment' attitude and energy. I'm currently neck-deep in trying to start my career (again), and I'm uncharacteristically optimistic about how things will go over the next couple of months.

I read this interesting article in Neuroscience News that talked about how our perception of time is directly linked to our heartbeat. I thought it was fascinating and that it totally tracks with my own lived experience. 

When I look back at times of stress and anxiety in my life, my perception of time was all over the place. Between feeling like I didn't have enough time to accomplish what I needed to accomplish while also feeling like every day was a slog, it makes sense that my skewed sense of time could be linked to an erratic heart rate.

This article also made me think more about meditation and exercise. Personally, meditation is a very conscious act, though not a formal practice that I engage in for X amount of time or what have you. I usually try to center myself and very deliberately control my breath periodically throughout the day. I find I release a lot of the stress and anxiety I subconsciously hold in my body and am much more focused. Connected to heartbeats and time, I find I'm better able to time manage and keep deadlines in perspective. It's a nice and easy reset I can pull-off throughout the day.

With exercise, I find time flies when I'm biking, lifting weights, or playing pick-up basketball. I'm also curious if a naturally slower resting heart rate also translates to a slower perception of time. I guess I could look deeper into this but I'm honestly fine living with the limited knowledge I now possess. 

Beyond the numerous other reasons meditation and exercise are important for our well-being, it's cool to think about how they can literally change how we perceive time.

=> https://neurosciencenews.com/heartbeat-time-perception-22725/ 'Wrinkles' in Time Experience Are Linked to Heartbeat - Neuroscience News



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