Widening life: how Space psychology can help cancer survivors reclaim time

When astronauts venture into the vast isolation of space, they face challenges far beyond technology or zero gravity. One of the most profound is the warping of time—how minutes stretch into hours, and days blur into one another. As it turns out, this distortion of time isn't exclusive to space.

It’s also deeply familiar to those who’ve survived cancer.

Time After Cancer: A New Dimension

For cancer survivors, life after treatment isn't a simple return to "normal." Time itself often feels broken. The calendar may show days ticking by, but emotionally, time slows, speeds up, or loses meaning entirely. Survivors talk about the grief of letting go of who they were before cancer, of trying to understand who they’ve become, and of learning how to live with the ever-lurking shadow of recurrence.

"When you're diagnosed with cancer, you start to 'jump' between timelines, wondering if you're going to die. Organising your own funeral. Questioning whether you’ll be satisfied with the life you've lived. Then you survive. What do you do? What do you change?” - Cancer survivor

"It feels like there’s a 'normal life' timeline versus a 'cancer' timeline. You see people getting married and going to work, while you're stuck in this fuzzy timeline where nothing is clear" - Cancer survivor

Rather than pushing people to bounce back or chase productivity, what if we approached post-cancer life differently? What if we widened life—not extended it—by helping people feel more present, more engaged, and more in control of their time?

That’s the vision behind the Wide Time Calendar.

What is Wide Time? From Space Missions to Survivorship

The Wide Time Calendar was born from interdisciplinary research combining design, user experience in Space, space psychology, and survivorship. Inspired by the temporal disorientation astronauts experience during long missions, the question popped up: Can the coping strategies developed for life in space help cancer survivors here on Earth?

The answer is a growing yes.

The Wide Time Calendar helps individuals reframe their sense of time.
It’s based on the idea of amplevity: a term coined to describe a life perceived as longer and richer because of the depth and diversity of experiences, not just the number of years lived.

"Wide Time" isn’t about how long you live—it's about how fully you live. The Wide Time Calendar invites users to zoom out from daily minutiae and reflect on emotionally significant moments—big or small. Unlike conventional calendars, it doesn’t prioritize duration. Instead, it emphasizes what felt meaningful: a walk with a friend, a moment of laughter, a quiet day without anxiety.

People are researching how to extend life, when instead, it should be widened.

"When you get diagnosed, your life fills up with doctors appointments. But you have to remember that life is not only the therapy, life is not only the family. Life is much more, it’s friends, it’s relaxtime, it's laughs.” - Cancer Survivor

A Simple Yet Powerful Practice

So how does it work?

• Zoom Out: Instead of listing tasks, the calendar creates space to reflect on what made each day or week meaningful.

• Simplify: It uses minimal visual elements to reduce pressure and promote clarity.

• Create Memories: It encourages recognition of small wins and everyday beauty, helping time feel more substantial.

Used individually, in therapy, or in support groups, the calendar becomes a bridge from the surreal aftermath of survival to a more grounded and hopeful daily life.

To fellow survivors and explorers alike: Ad astra.
Whether you're floating in space or grounded on Earth, time can feel endless or empty. But with the right tools and mindset, it can also feel wide. Filled not just with more days—but with more life.