“The normal flow of time stopped with the normal flow of life”: A mixed methods investigation of multifaceted subjective experiences of time during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions to daily life which impacted how people used and experienced time. This study employed a mixed-method, person-centered approach to investigate people's subjective experiences of time during the first year of the pandemic. Specifically, it aimed to investigate experiences of time as multifaceted, measuring the pandemic's impact on people's perceptions of routine changes, passage of time, and quantity of time. Further, the study explored participants’ descriptions of their temporal experiences. Data were collected from an online survey of 272 participants (Mage = 27.74, SD = 11.95) in Spring 2021. A latent class analysis identified two distinct classes: Varied Time Changes and Minimal Perceived Changes. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) of open-ended survey responses revealed that those in the Varied Time Changes group described feelings of disorientation, lack of temporal structure, and an inability to use time meaningfully, while Minimal Perceived Changes participants focused on themes of accepting change as normal, maintaining routines, and savoring the present moment. Notably, the Minimal Perceived Changes group was significantly older (M = 37.86, SD = 14.28) than Varied Time Changes (M = 26.89, SD = 11.36). This study contributes to understanding the complexity of temporal experiences under prolonged uncertainty, highlighting the importance of personal context in shaping one's response to broad social disruptions.