How the covid-19 pandemic distorted our experience of time

Five years ago, in January 2020, a new year had begun, one that would be like no other in living memory. Three months later, much of the world was in lockdown. Most people were unable to leave home for work or social activities, and with schools shut, many of us were juggling homeschooling while feeling anxious about the future.

Covid-19 had countless impacts on health and well-being, but one surprising effect was a widespread distortion of people’s experience of the passage of time. How were those lockdown days for you? Did they fly by or drag on? As academics…