When was the last time time felt right?

This week, I found myself spending my time all over the place, leaving me feeling anxious. Usually, I have a stable routine that allows me to focus on what matters, but this week was different. I ended up wasting too much time doom scrolling on social networks or watching TV.

It’s funny because most of us think of time as an absolute concept—something that is the same for everyone. But that’s not true. Two minutes on a roller coaster doesn’t feel the same as two minutes catching up with a friend. Or compare one hour in an “all-hands” Zoom meeting to one hour spent having dinner with someone you care about—time doesn’t feel the same.

In Einstein’s theory of relativity, time moves faster at higher altitudes and slower at lower ones—simple physics (Book recommendation “The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli”). But in our daily lives, the opposite seems to happen. When we engage in low-level activities, like doom scrolling or binge-watching, time rushes by, yet these activities are shallow and unproductive.

Social media tricks us into thinking we have all the time in the world, creating the illusion of slow time. Yet, before we know it, hours have disappeared. What feels like a brief scroll often ends up consuming far more time than we realize.

The cost is significant: a growing sense of emptiness, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. The time that could be spent on higher, more meaningful pursuits—like building skills, creating, or simply being present—is lost. Instead, we’re left wondering where all those hours went, trapped in the false sense that time is moving slowly when it’s actually slipping away fast.

In a world designed to steal our attention and misuse our time, it’s critical to reclaim our most precious resource. Will you spend your time in the valleys, where hours slip away unnoticed? Or will you rise to higher ground, where every second feels purposeful and fulfilling?

Time is not absolute—it’s relative to what you do with it.
How will you choose to spend yours?