How to Make Time Pass Quickly When You’re Looking Forward to Something

Speed up the day (or week, or month) with these time-killing hacks

Co-authored by Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC and Aly Rusciano

Last Updated: March 28, 2025 Fact Checked

Have you ever been so excited that you couldn’t sleep, like on the night before your birthday or a big holiday? Or maybe you’re at school or work watching the clock until that bell rings or your shift is up? Sometimes, time can seem to just drag on and on—5 minutes can feel like 5 years! But don’t worry! There are actually a few tricks and tactics you can use to speed up time and help it pass more quickly. Try one or more of these options to make the day go by faster.

Fastest Ways to Pass Time at a Glance

Break your time into small chunks and alternate between productive work and breaks. If you're bored, make a to-do list for an upcoming activity or goal or distract yourself with a book, music, TV, or chores. Catch up with friends and loved ones and above all, don't let yourself stare at the clock the whole time.

1

Try breaking up the time into smaller chunks.

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Break up the hours into 5- or 10-minute blocks. Use the blocks to alternate back and forth between fully focusing on a task or activity and working at a more relaxed pace. Focusing on something can help the time pass quickly, and breaking it up into chunks can make it more manageable.^{[1]
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- For instance, you could break up an hour by alternating between 5- and 10-minute chunks. Spend the 10-minute chunks really focusing on a task. Then, spend the 5-minute blocks relaxing and working less hard.

2

Watch videos or listen to music.

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Watch some TV or put on a movie. Pull out your phone and look up some videos, or put on a good playlist to listen to some of your favorite songs. You’ll distract your mind to help the time pass more quickly.^{[2]
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3

Read a good book.

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Immerse yourself in another world by reading. Crack open a new book or an old classic that you love to read over and over. Transport your mind to a different time and place to pass the time. Engrossing yourself in a good book helps keep your mind fully occupied, and you likely won’t even notice the hours fly by.^{[3]
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- Try listening to an audiobook if you don’t have a hard copy in front of you.

4

Browse the web.

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Pull out your phone or hop on a computer and look up cat videos or find the latest updates of your favorite sports. Check out social media and see what your friends are up to. Take a look at some of the latest memes and have a few laughs, or send them to friends you think would like them. You’ll be surprised how quickly the time passes.^{[4]
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5

Make a list of goals to accomplish.

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Put together a to-do list for your future. Channel your boredom into a productive task by jotting down goals or dreams that you have. Open up a digital note or grab a piece of paper and a pen. Then, come up with goals for today, the end of the week, and the end of the month. You can also think about tasks you need to complete to make those goals happen. In the end, you'll have a solid game plan you can use to improve your future.^{[5]
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- Life coach Jessica Elliot advises to approach your goals in small, incremental steps. By doing a few things every day, you're adding to your overall larger goal.^{[6]
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- Take your time when approaching your goals. Slow things down, take it day-by-day, and understand that there's beauty hidden in the journey.
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Set clear priorities for your day to stay focused. Rather than aiming to “keep busy,” focus on filling your cup with achievable and satisfying tasks. Do things throughout the day that’ll make you happy and help you feel accomplished.

6

Knock out some chores.

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Find some stuff you can clean up around your home, such as washing the dishes or vacuuming. Clear out your fridge and wipe down the counters to get your kitchen tidied up. You could also do some of that laundry that’s been piling up or organize your garage. Get to those less-than-desirable tasks, and you’ll pass the time and feel accomplished when you’re finished.^{[7]
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7

Try counting from 100 to 1.

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Use this simple trick to make time go by faster. Instead of counting the time, start counting from 100 to 1. As you count, you won’t notice the time passing, and counting down can feel like you’re reaching a goal. Mix it up and force your mind to focus by counting down by 2s, 5s, or something tricky like 7s. You could even count from 1000 to 1 to take up more time.^{[8]
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- Counting up can make it feel like you’re counting the seconds, which could actually make it seem like time is passing more slowly. So, always aim to count down.

8

Talk to someone you care about.

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Take some time to give a call or shoot a message to an old friend or a relative you haven’t talked to in a while. You could talk about the latest news and update each other about your lives. Having other people to talk to can make the time pass faster.^{[9]
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9

Get outside for a bit.

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Make your mind and body feel better. Take a nice walk or go for a bike ride. A Stanford study found that walking increases creativity and has a positive impact on your mood.^{[10]
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Go to source} You could also head to the gym to get a really good workout in. Exercise releases endorphins that can make you feel happier and more relaxed, and while you’re focusing on exercising, you won’t think about the time as much.
- You don’t necessarily have to exercise, but some time outside can help boost your mood.
- If you can’t exercise outside, working out or relaxing indoors can also kill some time.

10

Soak in your surroundings.

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Practice mindfulness to become absorbed in the moment. Observe your surroundings and notice all of the different textures, colors, and designs. Try to take in any smells and identify them. Listen for the sounds around you. Pay attention to the things you feel, such as your feet on the floor or your legs on the chair. The more engrossed in your surroundings you are, the more quickly the time will seem to pass.^{[11]
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11

Take a nap.

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Pass the time with a power nap to feel refreshed. Curl up for a quick 10-minute nap. It’s a great way to relax, feel rejuvenated, and pass some time. You’ll wake up feeling rested and energized.^{[12]
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- You could set an alarm to wake yourself up or just nap until you wake up on your own.

12

Avoid watching the clock.

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Counting the seconds can make a minute seem like an eternity. Resist the urge to check the time constantly. Put away any clocks so you aren’t tempted to look. The less you check the clock, the quicker the time will pass.^{[13]
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How do I wait for a friend to come over in 1 hour?

Community Answer

Watch an hour long TV show, or read a book for an hour. If you like to bake, this is another good option, because between prep and cook time, baking usually takes about an hour.

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How do I make a week go by faster when I'm in school?

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Try some of the ideas above, or checkout the related wikiHow article on How to Make School Time Fly.

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I get my phone back in one week, but I feel I need it by my side at all times. How can I make time pass by faster?

Community Answer

Try something you have been wanting to do without your phone. Read a book. Take long walks. Spend time with friends.

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Tips

Try your best not to think about the time passing. The less you focus on it, the quicker it may seem to pass.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

If there's a birthday, holiday, or other event coming up, make plans for the day in your mind to pass the time. The more detail you think about, the longer it will take you to formulate your plans.
There are so many silly things you can occupy your mind with! For example, you might write on your feet, draw angry eyes on people in magazine pictures, or try to read a book upside down.
Do something you love! Once you start doing that thing, it sucks you right in and you forget everything else and just focus on that one thing. Time will fly past without you even noticing.

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