Cessation Time Distortion

People participating in a smoking cessation program sometimes report that time slows down or speeds up. People who have not ever gone through a cessation program may think that this is just an excuse. However, it is not.
A study by the University of Maryland Medical Center proves that time distortion during a smoking cessation program is an actual medical condition. The study states that the reason for the perceived time distortion is that the brain is adjusting to chemical changes. This causes time to seem altered.
In the study, participants were timed during cravings. The participants reported the cravings lasted 15 to 30 minutes. However, the actual time was only three to five minutes. The same participants were told they could smoke for three minutes. In the first round, the participants were allowed to smoke for what they thought was three minutes. In actuality, an average of 7 to 10 minutes passed before they quit smoking.
On the next round, the participants were told when to stop smoking. The participants reported that they thought only one minute or less had passed.
Once the time distortion was proven, the study participants were encouraged to think of ways to compensate for this distortion. The most prevalent way was to keep track of time with a watch that had a second hand. Other participants found that writing out a daily plan was the best way to keep track of time.
The one thing that all participants agreed upon was that mediation, deep breathing and yoga were the best ways to deal with the seemingly endless cravings that happen during time distortion episodes.