Why time slips away: how to take control of your day in an era of perpetual hurry

When we wake up at 7:00, we automatically reach for our phones, see a sea of notifications and a possibly frightening statistic: 11 hours of screen time per day last week. Swipe - and there's someone on the screen cheerfully urging us to get up early to "work on ourselves" before we start work. But before you know it, it's 8:57, and it's time to switch to business.

Many studies indicate that modern people often have more free time than previous generations. However, the paradox is that at the same time the feeling of lack of time increases. It is as if we are losing control: time dictates the conditions, not us controlling it. A sociological perspective suggests that our experience of time is collectively shaped and inversely influenced by societal norms.

Paradoxically, the high speed of modern life sometimes deprives us of the feeling that we use our free time effectively. If we do manage to "reclaim" a little time, it is often spent either earning money "on the side" (part-time work or freelancing) or on additional activities. Moreover, the desire to optimise everything - by studying "flyhacks" or reading books on personal efficiency - also requires time.

From the point of view of time use researchers, each person does not have full autonomy to manage his or her own schedule. Time is a collective resource. We live in a "time network" where we constantly exchange time with friends, colleagues and family. But the wider the social circle, the more difficult it is to combine all interests.

Socio-economic background plays a role here: income level, place of residence, gender, age, cultural environment. All this influences what time we get up, whether we can afford to sleep longer or whether we have to take a long time to get to work. These factors also determine to whom and how we can say "no" or, on the contrary, feel obliged to agree.

No amount of time management articles can guarantee complete control over the day - after all, we are influenced by external obligations, the habits of loved ones, and social attitudes. The first step to breaking this circle is to understand why we spend our time the way we do. Every time we make a decision (even an elementary one: to lie in bed for another five minutes), it is useful to ask ourselves: "Why am I doing this and for whom?" The answer can reveal the extent to which our actions are dictated by other people's expectations or long-standing conventions.

Of course, we can't completely abandon work responsibilities or family matters, but we can recognise their influence and begin to proportion it to our goals. Gradually, by asking "why?" with each choice, we develop an awareness that allows us to act on our priorities. Of course, time is more than a resource to be used at will. But by learning to understand the "rules of the game," we can use the hours and minutes allotted to us to our best advantage and in accordance with our true aspirations.

Reprinted from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. The original is available on the publication's website.