PH
The way people experience travel time isn't determined only by the clock. Attention and enjoyment can influence how long a journey feels.
Listening to enjoyable music can shift attention away from repeatedly monitoring time, particularly during monotonous activities. Familiar songs can also require less effort to process than completely unfamiliar audio.
This is one reason the exact same commute can feel surprisingly different depending on what someone is doing or listening to.
Quick takeaway: Changing the experience of a journey can change the perception of its length—even when the actual travel time stays exactly the same.
© Frontiers in Psychology