KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Summer vacation is underway across East Tennessee and the U.S. Families are heading out for trips or are relaxing at home. But soon, summer vacation will come to an end. For many people, that day will come far too quickly.
Researchers at Ohio State University said people experience the passage of time differently during summer break. They effectively said an old adage still rings true, "Time flies when you're having fun."
"If you're paying attention to the passage of time, time will go slowly. And if we are really not paying attention to time because we are enjoying what we are doing and we are just, like, immersed in the moment — time just goes by in a jiffy," said Selin Malkoc, a psychology professor at OSU.
He said to make the most out of summer vacations, people should avoid overplanning their time off. Instead, they should try to find a balance between planning fun things to do without putting every moment on a schedule. By finding a balance, people can enjoy their time without stress from school or work while staying engaged with something and having fun.
"If you're not putting enough things, that's just gonna not give you the most fulfilling vacation. But if you're jam-packing it, now you're going to be rushing from one thing to the other and you're still not going to be enjoying what you're doing," said Malkoc.