By Stacie Prada
Without changes in routines or seasonal differences, it’s easy to lose track of time, day of the week, month, and even time of year. It’s good to have consistent healthy habits, but variety in schedule, activities, and environment helps us mark time.
Consider driving a long stretch of highway. They have names for the experience of driving a distance, losing track of time, and being surprised not to remember it: highway hypnosis and white line fever.
The more monotonous an experience, the less alert we’ll be, and we become more apt to operate on autopilot. It’s a small leap to compare this to our lives and how we experience time passing. The less we notice and the more we operate on autopilot, the more time can fly by.
Suggestions for combatting highway hypnosis include keeping your brain engaged, changing your environment, and taking movement breaks. All of these suggestions can be used to add enjoyment to life, and spring presents an especially perfect season for using them.
Noticing budding leaves and blossoms delights me each spring. Years ago, I made a rule for myself to stop and smell the first blooming hyacinth I see. It’s my favorite-smelling flower, and it’s among the first to bloom in spring. Some years they’ve been in pots at grocery stores, others were at ground level in a friend’s garden or along a sidewalk, and one year they were on a hillside that required some effort to access. Each experience grounded me in my surroundings and helped me notice more flowers and warmer weather are to come.
I eagerly await longer days each year, and springtime delights me with sunshine later in the day. Walking or jogging after work boosts my mood and helps with fitness. Short winter days can be hard to take, and I’m overjoyed when sunny evenings return.
I look forward to the local farmer’s market opening each spring for fresh produce, creative wares, and community gatherings. Frequently, impromptu conversations and well-wishes occur with people I haven’t seen in a while. It seems like we’ve all emerged from our winter hibernation, and it’s exciting to reconnect.
Recognizing the unique specialness of each season is not only enjoyable, it also helps me feel like I haven’t missed out, and I’m less likely to feel like I let time pass me by.
Information on highway hypnosis:
Raypole, C. (2020, July 2). Highway hypnosis: Signs, causes, how to handle it. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/highway-hypnosis
*Stacie Prada was diagnosed with RRMS in 2008 just shy of 38 years old. Her blog, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” is a compilation of inspiration, exploration, and practical tips for living with Multiple Sclerosis while living a full, productive, and healthy life with a positive perspective. It includes musings on things that help her adapt, cope and celebrate this adventure on earth. Please visit her at http://stacieprada.blogspot.com/
