Pandemic, Quarantine, and Psychological Time

Abstract

This article addresses the feeling of strangeness about the perception of time that many people with ordinary lifestyles experienced during the quarantine imposed to fight the presence of COVID-19. It describes different aspects of psychological time affected by the interruption of a normal routine and suggests some cognitive mechanisms, attention, and memory that might have been at play, leading to perceive time as being more or less long. The article also describes the critical role of anxiety and temporal uncertainty and how they may affect the functioning of an internal clock and reminds the reader that there are individual differences in time-related aspects of the personality that contribute to the variety of impressions about duration experienced during the quarantine.

Adapting to the pandemic: longitudinal effects of social restrictions on time perception and boredom during the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany

“…How do restrictions that limit social contact during the Covid-19 pandemic impact our PPT? The Covid-19 pandemic itself and the related social isolation measures present emotionally taxing challenges to many people and might enhance symptoms of depression or negative emotional states 27 . People spend more time at home during a lockdown, leading to repetitive routines lacking diversified events, which, in turn, promotes an unpleasant state of boredom 7 , 28 .…”

Time Perspective predicts levels of Anxiety and Depression during the COVID-19 outbreak: A cross-cultural study

“…In a systematic review, Salari and colleagues (2020) analyzed 17 studies from nine countries conducted during the COVID-19 outbreak and showed that the pandemic affected mental health and raised the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. This increase can be explained by multiple factors: for instance, the World Health Organization (see Grondin et al, 2020) asserted that the more people were exposed to (potentially distressful) news on COVID-19, the higher the reported levels of anxiety and depression were, unless the information were accurate and up-to-date (Wang et al, 2020). Highest levels of anxiety and depression were found in women, young adults, individuals with higher levels of education, and Asians as compared to Europeans (Salari et al, 2020).…”

“…The pandemic and the associated routines also affected the perception of time: agendas and routines changed because of the loss of zeitgebers and temporal landmarks, up to a level where the days lost their identity and significance (Grondin et al, 2020). In the UK, Ogden (2020) observed that approximately 40% of the participants indicated that time passed more slowly, and 40% felt it passed more quickly than before the lockdown.…”

“…For others, attention might be attracted by less monotony in the daily structure, by the challenge of organizing (more) activities (e.g., due to additional childcare duties), and by the occurring events during the first phase of the quarantine. With less attention directed to time, time is perceived as passing more quickly (Grondin et al, 2020). However, when intervals are then judged retrospectively, they are estimated longer when they are filled with less routine activities and when more unique memories can be retrieved (Avni-Babad & Ritov, 2003).…”

Experiencing Change: Rhythms of Everyday Life Between Continuities and Disruptions

“…The Covid-19 pandemic is a clear example of a sudden slowdown of our everyday pace, with lockdowns at the societal level impacting the pace of many individual lives, as people navigate new rhythms of living within the confinement of the home. The quarantines, coupled with anxiety and temporal uncertainty, have distorted many people's perception of psychological time (Grondin et al, 2020).…”