How To Meditate To Make Time Go Faster (Explained)

If you’ve successfully managed to direct all your attention to meditation, you’re likely going to notice your notion of time changing. Simply put, the more you enjoy meditation, the less you’ll want to rush it and the faster time will pass by. 

This is true with almost anything. The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more you forget that time is a thing. 

But it takes a lot of trial and error to reach that stage with meditation when you’re starting out. Because you need to know that the meditation is working for you and that you’re doing it properly. 

If you’re starting out, you’re more likely to notice the opposite effect, as beginners often want to rush their session. 

However, I’ll share some tips to help you feel like time goes by quicker, and while these tips are not guaranteed to change or improve your meditation practice, they can serve as a good starting point to keep in mind.

Forgetting The Timer Is There

When I started meditating, a mere twenty-minute meditation felt like an eternity. I always had the urge to check the timer to see how much time was less for meditation. 

The problem is that this completely defeats the purpose of meditation, but instead of trying to fight that urge right out of the bat, accept that it’s there. 

Take a step back and try to trace back the root of what’s wanting you to rush the meditation. It could have a simple fix. Are you sitting in an uncomfortable position? Is it hard to focus? Once you address the root cause, you’ll be more mindful about what’s making you want to rush things. 

The urge to check the timer will remain if you don’t find the meditation enjoyable or calming. But many times, a meditation practice can feel like a tall mountain to climb, so it does help to digest the practice in bite-size pieces. 

It’s better to do 10 minutes of quality, deep meditation than 20 minutes of shallow meditation where your attention is going everywhere. That’s why, the more you know yourself, the easier it is to make the most out of meditation. 

What It Takes to Enjoy Meditation

Everyone’s journey with meditation tends to be different, but sometimes, it does help to meditate under a guided meditation to get an idea of where your attention needs to go. We can hold ourselves accountable, but we can just as easily slack with it. 

When you’re doing guided meditation, it’s easier to know what to focus on, rather than having the mind take you to random places. And of course, just because you start off with a guided meditation doesn’t mean you have to stick with it.

 You can learn principles that help you focus and become more self-sufficient with meditation and where you once struggled, it now becomes easy. 

The easier you find the meditation, the more likely you are to enjoy the practice, as what many times makes it not enjoyable is the mind wanting to rush things, limiting beliefs or distracting thoughts.

 You’ll face interruptions no matter what stage you’re in, but amidst interruptions, you can still learn to enjoy the meditation and thereby, make your perception of time go faster. 

Keeping Your Attention In The Meditation

This goes hand in hand with enjoying the practice. If you enjoy the practice, you’ll have an easier time keeping your attention on the practice, and the opposite is also true. If you’re able to keep your attention in the practice, you’re more likely to enjoy it as well. 

The better you get with meditation, the more calming and effortless it becomes, and training your attention is a good starting point. 

You don’t necessarily have to train your attention exclusively with just meditation, but meditation feeds off your ability to focus and amplifies it. 

What you can do outside of meditation when you’re, for instance, doing work, is doing something called Deep Work. It’s such a powerful concept that an entire book was written about it. 

Generally speaking, any input that has your uninterrupted focus leads to a better output. Keeping your attention on anything you do and being present will usually make time go faster, both in and out of the meditation. 

Can You Make Time Pass By Quicker Even When You’re Starting Out?

As you may already be aware, time tends to pass slower when you’re just starting meditation. But if you happen to find a meditation that resonates with you, that makes you see the progress over a short time span. 

And if you’re able to reach a calm state relatively quickly, you can still experience time passing by quickly with meditation. But more than anything, you become disconnected from the notion of time. 

Just like your notion of time is different when you sleep. Meditation is the way to give the mind the rest it needs it doesn’t necessarily get from sleep. 

But if you’re just starting out, it’s crucial that you find a meditation that works for you as this is key to not abandoning the practice. The sooner you can get feedback, the sooner you can experience the long-lasting benefits of meditation. 

Final Thoughts

Meditation is a great way to explore yourself and growth, and lose any notion of time. If you’ve reached this stage and don’t worry about how many minutes are left, you are on the right path with meditation and you should keep walking that path. 

If in contrast you often find yourself trying to rush things and wondering how many minutes are left of your meditation, you should consider reevaluating the meditation you are doing. 

Sometimes, what needs to change is your approach to meditation, other times, the meditation you are doing isn’t suited for you. All these variables can influence your perception of time. 

Don’t keep doing meditation just because you’ve heard that it works for a lot of people, make sure you are able to stay mindful throughout the practice and in the present moment. At its core, that’s what it boils down to.