I noticed something kinda interesting. During very dense periods of work, time passes faster. But when looking back at those periods, it feels like they were unusually long.
I believe during an intense period, our brain is so focused that we don't properly register time passing. Our brain is always thinking of something, except time! And afterwards, that density is reinterpreted simply as a long period, because we no longer see time in the past, only the quantity of work.
I think we can't really remember density as density in our memories; the compression doesn't survive, but the quantity does, so it automatically turns into lengthier experiences. Like our brain can only store amount, not intensity, and adjusts the felt length to match.